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  • Jadeveon Clowney, Injured Houston Texans player, Returned to Action, Saying He ‘Felt Great’

    Jadeveon Clowney, the Houston Texans rookie who suffered a knee injury in a week one game against the Washington Redskins, returned to play Sunday for the team’s 23-7 win over the Cleveland Browns and said he “felt great” after the game.

    Seven weeks after incurring his injury, the outside linebacker’s return wasn’t earth-shattering, but he did have several key plays, including two tackles. His teammate, J.J. Watt, filled in the gaps as Clowney gingerly returned to play.

    Despite a less than stellar performance, Clowney said he was thrilled to suit up once again for his team.

    “I felt great. I moved around like I wanted to,” said Clowney following the game. “I could have been better but I felt better than I did against Tennessee. I had a lot more confidence in my knee.”

    Although Clowney may not have been 100 percent and had little impact during the game, the rest of the team’s defense held three Browns running backs to 58 yards on 24 carries. His tackle against former Texan Ben Tate resulted in a loss of nine yards for the Browns.

    Clowney did have one brief appearance in the week eight game against the Tennessee Titans, but sat out week nine’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles due to illness.

    I had a good time at media day

    A photo posted by Clowney_7 (@clowney_7) on

    Texans coach Bill O’Brien said that with Clowney‘s return, he is counting on the former South Carolina standout to demonstrate some consistency during the final six regular-season games.

    “Being able to do it week-to-week, day-to-day,” O’Brien said Monday at NRG Stadium. “He’s a disruptive player when he gets in there, and he’s got the ability to really disrupt plays. When he understands his role and what his job is in the different packages … and keeps getting a better understanding of those things, he’s going to be more and more disruptive as he goes.”

  • Jadeveon Clowney Played Through Injury at USC

    When the 2014 NFL Draft rolled around on May 8, there was no doubt as to who would be the number one pick. During his three years at the University of South Carolina, Jadeveon Clowney performed athletic feats that many would not have thought possible. His explosiveness off the line and ability to rush the passer vaulted him to national prominence in quick fashion, especially as his sophomore year came to a close. However, in his junior and final year at USC, many began to question Clowney’s work ethic as he finished the season with only three sacks and generally showed a lack of effort. One NFL executive had harsh criticism for Clowney, stating, “He’s spoiled, and he’s lazy. He’s never worked hard a day in his life, now all of a sudden you’re going to give him a bunch of money and expect him to work hard. I don’t see it.”

    New news, however, may shine light as to why Clowney seemed so complacent during his last year in college football.

    In an interview with NFL Media’s Gil Brandt this week, Clowney stated that he played through a sports hernia during his final season at South Carolina, surprising everyone, including the Texans organization.

    At the time, Clowney had no idea that his injury was so serious:

    Rather than continuing to play through the injury and potentially developing further complications, Clowney and the Texans decided the best course of action was to go ahead and have a sports hernia surgery: “I was kind of upset, because I would get behind. But Coach (Bill O’Brien) was like, ‘Just let it get better now than later on, when you might be out during the season.’ So we’ll just take the time to get it right now,” reported Clowney.

    For the Texans, Clowney’s time off the field may be a blessing in disguise. Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel has unusual plans for the former defensive lineman, which mainly consist of playing him at outside linebacker.

    “I fully expect that he will be an outside linebacker initially. He’ll start in a two-point stance, but anytime we go into any kind of package, whether it’s a third down package or a packaged predicated on personnel, down and distance, all those things give Romeo (Crennel) the ability to have him put his hand in the dirt and go get the passer,” stated Texans GM Rick Smith.

    Considering Clowney is going to have to learn an entirely new position and memorize a full NFL playbook, this time in rehab could pay huge dividends to his learning curve once the NFL season begins.

    Despite the surgery and the subsequent rehab, Clowney is still expected to participate in training camp at the end of July.

    Image via YouTube

  • 2014 NFL Mock Draft: Johnny Manziel Approaches No.1 Pick Again

    Another round of the 2014 NFL mock draft has been released, and this time quarterback Johnny Manziel is placed at the top. A number of players have been discussed as a possible No.1 pick, but Manziel may be emerging as the favorite as the draft comes closer.

    He was a Hesiman winner in 2012, and one of the runners up for the 2013 season, as he passed the torch to the young quarterback at Florida State, Jameis Winston.

    Johnny Manziel has been hailed for his skills in being able to throw and pass the ball efficiently, although some people think that he may not be NFL material. He could simply have the college style of play, which would not translate well to the NFL, a problem that has happened to various quarterbacks.

    However, due to the way that the Texas A&M quarterback performed at the pro day workout, he is being considered as a possible No.1 pick in the draft. Famous quarterbacks such as Brett Favre and Fran Tarkenton have both said that they can see aspects of themselves being emulated by the young player.

    It can sometimes be risky to take a quarterback as the No.1 pick, and some people have also heavily discussed the idea of Jadeveon Clowney being selected with the No.1 pick, although in the latest mock draft, he has slipped to the No.5 slot. Clowney is one of the top players at his position, and played as a defensive end at South Carolina.

    The connection to these picks being somewhat switched around could also relate to the fact that the Raiders and Texans recently made a deal that sent quarterback Matt Schaub to the Raiders, giving the Texans a more urgent need for a quarterback.

    The 2014 NFL mock draft has the Texans with the No.1 pick of course after their awful season in 2013, followed by the Rams, Jaguars, Browns, and Raiders. The Rams received their No.2 pick in a trade with the Redskins, who recently acquired free agent DeSean Jackson.

    The Rams are currently predicted to take Jake Matthews, an offensive tackle who has spent his college years blocking for Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M, while the next two picks are slated to go to quarterback Blake Bortles from Central Florida, and Greg Robinson, an offensive tackle from Auburn.

    A couple of other star-caliber players such as quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and wide receiver Mike Evans, who were both originally predicted in the top ten, are now set to go with the 8th and 12th picks, being drafted by the Vikings and Giants, respectively.

    The 2014 NFL mock draft will continually be updated leading up to the big draft day, which will begin with round 1 on May 8th. Will Johnny Manziel end up going to the Texans with the No.1 pick, or would someone else fit better with Houston’s roster?

    Image via Youtube

  • Jadeveon Clowney Declaring For The 2014 NFL Draft

    Not long after the South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Wisconsin Badgers 34 – 24 in the Capitol One Bowl on Wednesday, South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney declared for the 2014 NFL Draft.

    In an ESPN postgame interview Clowney was asked by reporter Tom Luginbill if he had NFL plans and the South Carolina defensive end simply replied, “Yes, sir.”

    Of course Clowney is very happy to be entering the NFL Draft. “I knew this time would come one day. I’m just happy it’s coming,” said Clowney.

    It has been quite a year for Clowney after entering the public eye because of his hit on Michigan’s Vincent Smith – the play that won him the ESPY award for Best Play. Clowney sparked media attention again with possible inappropriate interactions with Jay-Z, as well as his recent speeding ticket for driving 110 MPH in a 70 MPH zone.

    While Clowney declared for the 2014 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Colin Cowherd put it a little differently.

    One fan is happy for Clowney and well aware of the riches he’s about to receive.

    This Twitterer was definitely not shocked when Clowney announced that he would be entering the draft.

    While another informed us that the day Clowney chose to declare for the draft was also a special anniversary for the Gamecock.

    Charlie Daniels already knows some NFL team will draft Clowney, and he’s ready to watch him every Sunday. (Or Monday or Thursday for that matter.)

    Some speculate the Rams could draft Clowney with their No. 2 overall pick, if not, they don’t expect him to fall past the No. 5 pick by the Oakland Raiders.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Jadeveon Clowney is Caught Speeding 110 MPH

    Anyone who has watched any South Carolina football this season knows that defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is fast. The 6’6″ junior weighs in at 274 pounds and runs a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash. In addition to being lightning fast on the field, we’ve discovered that Clowney is a little too fast off the field. One of the top prospects in the NFL Draft was clocked going 40 miles over the posted speed limit this past weekend.

    According to WISTV, a South Carolina Highway Patrolman pulled Clowney over on I-77 for driving 110 MPH in a 70 MPH zone. Even though driving this much over the speed limit could result in going to jail, Clowney was only given a speeding ticket for $355.

    While some people might question letting off a big-name star with nothing more than a speeding ticket, reports say that Clowney was cooperative in the situation.

    So, what do football fans have to say about Clowney’s ticket? Most aren’t raking him over the coals for it, even though a few folks have wondered whether this would hurt his draft status, something Brent Sobleski of USA Today quickly shot down. “NFL teams will almost certainly investigate the situation, but a lead foot won’t be enough to push them away. Clowney is an elite prospect,” Sobleski said.

    Most fans aren’t taking the situation too seriously. Fan Bryan Craig made light of the situation by saying that Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney should recruit the state trooper that pulled over Clowney. “This state trooper did something Clemson has been unable to do for the past three years…stop Clowney.”

    Hopefully the next time we hear about Clowney’s speed is when the Gamecocks travel to Orlando to face Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl.

    Clowney wasn’t the only football player in South Carolina to get pulled over for speeding over the past few days. Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd was pulled over for speeding on Friday. Boyd was pulled over doing 84 MPH in a 70 MPH zone, but was let off with a warning.

    Check out some other fan reactions to Jadeveon Clowney’s speeding ticket below.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Jadeveon Clowney May Not Play in Arkansas Game

    Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, right? Unfortunately for South Carolina Gamecocks fans, the pre-season discussion about their best defensive player sitting out the entire season may not have been as overreaching as originally thought.

    After Jadeveon Clowney sat out last night’s game against the Kentucky Wildcats, head coach Steve Spurrier says that Clowney may sit out again when the Gamecocks play Arkansas on Saturday.

    Many sports pundits suggested that Clowney should sit out his junior year to stay healthy for the 2014 NFL Draft. Since Clowney has been predicted to be a Top 5 overall pick, this would be a huge payday for the Rock Hill, South Carolina native.

    Sitting out games to protect one’s draft status, however, is mostly unheard of, and Gamecocks fans were quick to say that such a thing would never happen with Clowney. From what Spurrier said after the game against Kentucky on Saturday, it’s starting to look like those Carolina fans, this writer included, could be wrong.

    The news that Clowney was going to sit out for the Kentucky game came at the last minute. Clowney has previously played sick in a couple of games and has also been playing with bone spurs in his feet, which he will have surgery for after the season is over.

    “Jadeveon was not suited up,” Spurrier said. “I asked him ‘you not playing’ and he said, ‘nope I’m in pain.’” Clowney reportedly had rib pain before the game.

    Spurrier was obviously frustrated with his star defensive player sitting out last night, and some of the comments the coach made after the game have a lot of fans wondering whether something more is going on. Then again, the frustration could largely come from Spurrier’s Gamecocks dropping a big lead to the Kentucky Wildcats, which let the Wildcats keep the game closer than it should have been. The #13 Gamecocks won 35-28 in Columbia after getting a 21-0 lead.

    “If he wants to play, we will welcome him to come play for the team if he wants. But if he doesn’t want to play, he doesn’t have to play. Simple as that,” Spurrier said. When Spurrier was asked about how committed Clowney is to the Gamecocks, he said, “You’ll have to ask him that.”

    Now Spurrier says that Clowney is “unsure” for the Arkansas game. “Hopefully, with treatment and so forth he will be well enough to play this coming week but we will see,” Spurrier said. “We will see if he’s going to be in pain and not play or not in pain and can play this week.”

    Perhaps Clowney had just had a run of bad luck health-wise, but a lot of college football fans are questioning how legitimate his injury/illness claims are.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jadeveon Clowney: Top College Player Needs Surgery

    It was reported today that South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney will have surgery at the end of the football season. The USC player, one of the top defensive players in the nation, has been predicted to be the top pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

    While Clowney has been criticized by some sports pundits for not quite living up to the Superman status he was promoted to by ESPN in the off-season, the 6-foot, 6-inch, 274-pound defensive end out of Rock Hill, South Carolina has been playing in pain. The Carolina player reportedly has bone spurs in his foot, which he says have been bothering him “a lot.” Instead of going through with the surgery now, Clowney plans to play through the pain so he can continue to be a contributor on USC’s defense.

    “It’s painful. I’m out here playing on it, though, so I’m just trying to give everything I’ve got on it,” Clowney told GoGamecocks.com. “Who knows what’s going to happen out there? It doesn’t really bother me when I am out there much. It’s just builds up pain. The more I keep going on it, the more it bothers me.”

    After coming off three games over the past three weeks, Clowney will have a chance to rest his foot until the Gamecocks head to Florida to face UCF on September 28 since the Gamecocks have a BYE week coming up.

    While bone spur surgery is considered relatively minor and shouldn’t impact Clowney’s draft status, if his condition worsens throughout the season and he isn’t able to put up his typical tackle and sack stats, it is possible he could see his status slip a little. As long as Clowney has a decent season, though, he should remain a potential Top 5 pick, which would land him a huge signing bonus.

    In addition to the bone spur pain, Clowney has had to adjust his playing style since the offenses he has faced so far have tried their best to run plays away from him. “It’s hard out there trying to chase from the backside” Clowney said after the Gamecocks lost to Georgia last week. Even though that makes it difficult for Clowney to make as many big plays, that goes to prove just how scared the other teams are of him, as they should be, considering some of the impressive sacks and tackles the Heisman hopeful has made.

    See some of Clowney’s dominant performances below.

    “The Hit” – South Carolina vs. Michigan 2013

    “Four in a Row” – South Carolina vs. Clemson 2012

    Image via YouTube

  • Jay-Z Wrapped Up in College Football Blooper

    Jay-Z might have put the University of South Carolina’s 2013 football campaign in jeopardy. “Inside the League,” a football insider website, has taken note of potential inappropriate interactions between Jay-Z’s sports agency and junior defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, a star on the South Carolina team and a bright prospect for the 2014 NFL draft. Clowney would likely have been a top pick in the 2013 NFL draft if he’d been eligible, largely due to the publicity surrounding the following hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith:

    NCAA regulations strictly govern the interaction between future NFL stars and sports agents. Jay-Z has a burgeoning sports representation agency, Roc Nation Sports, which represents athletes such as the NBA’s Kevin Durant. According to “Inside the League,” Clowney has been in “regular contact” with the agency. If any sort of agreement between the player and the agency is established, Clowney’s college eligibility will be compromised.

    After “Inside the League” posted the report, an Instagram account attributed to Clowney linked to it, adding “You kno [sic] we about to turn up. Dream coming true.”

    That dream apparently has little to do with collegiate glory.

    Clowney had reportedly considered sitting out his final season at South Carolina to avoid the possibility of a career ending injury (or draft compromising performance). According to head coach Steve Spurrier, “All of our conversations [with Clowney] are wait until you have played your last game at South Carolina. When the bowl game is over this coming season he’s free to accept any amount of money anybody wants to give him. But until then he has to be a student-athlete like all the other guys or he’s not going to be eligble. He’s done a good job of knowing that.”

    NCAA regs prohibit current college athletes from agreeing to representation by any agent. Any athlete who does so is declared ineligible, though mere communication with an agent is not prohibited. So if Clowney’s alleged “dream coming true” comment has nothing to do with representation by Roc Nation, then there’s nothing to worry about. To that end, some sportswriters have been wary of damning Clowney:

    To which Paul Myerberg of USA Today responded: “Can even eat at the Ritz together, as long as Clowney pays for himself.”