J.J. Watt makes the most of moment as Pat's Run official race starter

It was going to be a long morning with the air horn, so J.J. Watt figured he'd have a little fun.

The former Arizona Cardinals star, retired for three months now with a new home, baby boy and the opportunity to be the starter for Pat's Run early on Saturday morning at Arizona State University, was in charge of counting down and sounding the horn to start the race for an estimated 28,000 to 29,000 runners.

With 28 corrals of runners and staggered starting times, Watt had to sound the horn often. At one point, he passed the horn to a bystander from his spot on a platform adjacent to the starting line just a few steps away from Mullett Arena.

The horn went off inadvertently. Watt playfully pounced, microphone in hand speaking to the masses at the starting line.

"This is why we can't have nice things!" Watt said, turning to smile.

Watt still has a lot of star power, as seen in the way many gravitated to him in the moments leading up to the start of the race. He did TV interviews (sidestepping a question about former teammate Budda Baker reportedly having asked the Cardinals to trade him), posed for countless photos and even got in on group photo opportunities to the delight of those fortunate enough to be near the starting line.

Watt met new Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, who ran the race and took part in one of the Phoenix area's signature community events not even two months after being hired. But Watt made sure the focus was on the reason for the race and let everyone know how much respect and admiration he has for the late Pat Tillman, the former ASU and Cardinals football player for whom the annual 4.2-mile run is named.

Tillman left behind his NFL career to join the U.S. Army after the September 11 attacks. He was killed in action in Afghanistan.

"It's all about Pat. It's all about his legacy, what he did, the selflessness that he had, and supporting his legacy," Watt said. "The life that he led and the way that he led it and the sacrifices that he made were all for other people."

As the race got underway, two men dressed in full firefighter protective equipment holding flags were among those who ran. There was a man in a Tillman No. 42 ASU football jersey and two men in No. 40 Cardinals Tillman jerseys (one red and the other white), and a fan wearing a white Cardinals football helmet.

Gannon arrived at the starting line with several assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing was also slated to take part.

"They do what they do so we can do what we do," Gannon said, referring to military personnel and first responders. "All of us wanted to come out and support it and see the event."

Gannon said he and some coaches had already lifted weights that morning before arriving at Pat's Run. He invited his coaches to take part, and almost all of them committed to it.

Watt started group after group of runners, often returning their waves or greetings from above the starting line. Some waited an hour just to get to the starting line, with so many runners and walkers having registered.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What former Arizona Cardinal J.J. Watt did as starter for Pat's Run