DE Jedeveon Clowney is the #1 prospect in this year's draft. He is 6' 6" and weighs 249 poounds. He ran a 4.53 on his 40 yard dash; he had a vertical jump at the combine at 37.5 inches, and he had a 124 in broad jump (all of which led DEs). He looks like an amazing player who the Houston Texans would be lucky to have according to many analysts at CBS, NFL.com, and ESPN, but what if there was something analysts are missing. A small element from his past the reporters have pointed out, but people just skimmed over it. People must realize that being a football player is not about brutally tall players like HC Chip Kelly feels about WRs. It is about being able to have physical attributes as well as have mental toughness.
An article was written about Jedeveon Clowney on October 9, 2013 by Fox Sports. It stated, "We’re already seeing it after Clowney said his ribs were too sore to play Saturday against Kentucky. Steve Spurrier’s fed-up reaction reflected the growing consensus. Clowney is soft. He doesn’t love football. He’s saving himself for the NFL. All the hype has gone to his head." A player who is about to join the NFL should not be called "soft" at any point in his life unless he isn't NFL material. The article later states, "The real problem is Clowney’s heart. It just isn’t into college football anymore.
That’s not doing him any good, and it’s sure not helping South Carolina. So Clowney shouldn’t worry about being labeled." Clowney doesn't have any heart which is key to being successful in the NFL. Players like LB Ray Lewis (Retired) or S Earl Thomas (Seattle Seahawks) would not be where they are today without their hearts. Clowney won't survive in the NFL because as much physical ability and plays and training exercises he can be taught: you can't teach him to have a heart. Even if Clowney ended up with a team like the Houston Texans who have DE JJ Watt who has a whole lot of heart and respect for the game or even in Detroit if he was with DT Ndamkoung Suh who has nothing but heart, no one can teach him.
Even his statistics have fallen from heaven in college. Between 2012 and 2013, Clowney's stats went down 12 tackles, down 12.5 TFLs, and down 10 sacks. He only had 21 bench reps at the combine which is somewhat low for a man of his calibur if he is planning on being the first overall pick in the draft let alone top 5. Clowney is the #1 DE, but he can not be considered the #1 overall draft pick by any team.
