'The bar was bending!' - Burnley coach left in awe by 'absolute monster' JJ Watt's strength in club gym session before 'nervous' NFL legend won Cincinnati Bengals retirement bet with goalkeeper James Trafford

Burnley academy coach Jack Cork was left astonished after witnessing Watt's sheer power firsthand during a visit to the club’s training facility. The NFL icon might be retired from professional American football, but his physical presence is anything but.

Recalling the moment, Cork told talkSPORT: "He came to use the gym here. Honestly, you'll see him. He put the heaviest weights on each side of the squat rack, and the bar was bending all the way down. Obviously, he was huge. He did two rows. He got the two separate machines put on the highest weight and did two rows. He's just an absolute monster in the gym."

Watt's connection to Burnley goes beyond gym visits and surprise appearances due to his status as a minority investor in the club. Earlier this season, the former NFL defensive powerhouse made headlines with a tongue-in-cheek pledge. He jokingly vowed to unretire and return to play for the Cincinnati Bengals if Burnley could maintain a perfect defensive record for the remainder of the season.

Remarkably, the Clarets managed to string together 12 consecutive matches without conceding a goal, keeping the dream alive far longer than anyone expected and making Watt 'nervous'. Goalkeeper James Trafford's clean sheet run spanned an astonishing 1,214 minutes from December 21 until it was finally broken in a Championship defeat to Cardiff City.

According to Cork, Watt’s bet became more than just a funny soundbite - it created a sense of purpose and unity at the club.

“That was a massive thing [within the club]. That was a huge thing,” he said. "It's only been one goal since then as well, hasn't it? It's been really close to getting done. It would have been so interesting. I think everyone was just a bit gutted that it didn't make it because it would have been so interesting if he actually would have seen the bet through.

"We were having staff days with all the staff at the club, and that was all everyone was talking about. It's disappointing. I feel like it's helped drive a big excitement and commitment towards keeping the clean sheets that the defenders have been on. I feel like it's been really good to focus on, and it has definitely massively helped."

Although Burnley's defensive heroics weren’t quite enough to bring Watt back to the gridiron, it helped unify a club through an unforgettable run. They will be back in action against Norwich City on April 12 in the Championship.