This week has been a bit of a love fest between Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and his home state of Wisconsin.

In Green Bay with the Texans for two joint practices with the Packers and the preseason opener today, Watt's had a lot to say about being back in the Badger State.

He talked about having stood outside the fences watching the Packers practice as a kid. He said he "literally dreamt" about being on that practice field.

He took part in the longtime Packers tradition of riding fans' bikes from Lambeau Field to the Don Hutson Center for practice. (It wasn't a complete success, but oh well.) The fans checking who flocked to the practices were sporting so many No. 99 jerseys Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter Richard Ryman wrote Watt "looked like the most popular player in the universe."

He also brought up something that, besides the Packers, Wisconsin's known for: brats and beer.

"I was going to see if I could go in the stands and have somebody bring me a brat, cheese curds and a Spotted Cow," he told WSAW-TV, "but I thought that might be frowned upon during period seven of practice, so maybe afterwards."

MORE:J.J. Watt preps for return to Wisconsin, where his roots run deep

The Pewaukee native and former Badgers star also was asked what was so great about the Spotted Cow, which New Glarus famously doesn't distribute or sell anywhere outside the state.

"It's delicious," Watt answered, according to a tweet by ESPN NFL Nation reporter Sarah Barshop. "It's nutritious. It cures a lot of things. ... When you come home ... there's something there that you like. For me it's cheese curds, it's Culver's custard, it's Spotted Cow, a Friday fish fry."

Sounds like after eight seasons in Houston the five-time First Team All-Pro is still very much a Wisconsin boy at heart.

Earlier this summer, Reebok unveiled Watt's signature training shoe. The color scheme for the JJ III is red, black and white — the colors of Watt's high school alma mater, Pewaukee High School.

Watt also has a history of donating money to charitable causes, including in Wisconsin. In May he contributed $10,000 to the family of the Appleton firefighter killed in a downtown shooting.

The Texans take on the Packers at 7 p.m. today at Lambeau Field.

Contact Shane Nyman at 920-996-7223 or snyman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @shanenyman.