Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is no stranger to the off-field scrutiny that comes with social media.
This week alone, Watt had the Twitter world abuzz after meeting with "lifelong crush" Jennifer Aniston and helping out with a pregnancy announcement.
On Friday, Watt took time to offer advice to some of the nation's top high school athletes at the annual Gatorade Athlete of the Year function in Los Angeles, where he was among the presenters.
Watt emphasized the importance of being careful with what they publish on Twitter and Instagram.
"Read each tweet about 95 times before sending it," he said in an interview with MaxPreps.com. "Look at every Instagram post about 95 times before you send it. A reputation takes years and years and years to build, and it takes one press of a button to ruin. So don't let that happen to you. Just be very smart about it."
It wasn't the first time Watt has cautioned younger athletes about how they portray themselves on social media.
In October, Watt called out Tennessee's Zach Mettenberger for his posting of multiple selfies during a week the quarterback was named the Titans starter.
Watt's bottom line to the high school athletes Friday was to enjoy their accomplishments, but to continue to put in hard work.
"Don't let tonight be the highlight of your career," he said. "Go out there every single day and try to be better. Push yourself even further. You have such a high starting point that the things that you can accomplish can be incredible if you're willing to put in the work."
