Entering the 2013 NCAA Football season, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind which player was the best in the country, as well as which player would be selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. While Johnny Manziel may get all the hype and publicity due to his immaturity and poor decision making skills off of the field, it was Jadeveon Clowney who was the consensus No. 1 player in America and future No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Watching Clowney dominate the SEC and see the hit that he delivered in the Outback Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines, resulting in a South Carolina Gameocks victory left no doubt in anyone’s mind that all Clowney had to do was make it through the 2013 college football season unscathed, and he would hear his name called first by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in next year’s draft.
What a difference a few months makes.
Clowney has not played like the best player in the country. He has not played like the best defensive player in the country. Heck. Clowney has not played like the best defensive end in the SEC, the SEC East or even on his own team. After playing through what many felt was just a minor injury to start the season, then appearing to play tremendously out of shape in the first couple of games, all while having little to no impact, Clowney was a late scratch just minutes before the Gamecocks faced the Kentucky Wildcats this past Saturday, in a game they were lucky to survive.
Clowney asked out of the game prior to the start, citing an injury to his ribs. After listening to what South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier said following the narrow road win over Kentucky, it appears as if the player and coach are not exactly on the same page.
If Clowney “wants to play, we will welcome him to come play for the team if he wants,” Spurrier said after the game. “But if he doesn’t want to play, he doesn’t have to play. Simple as that.” Asked about Clowney’s commitment to the Gamecocks, Spurrier said, “You’ll have to ask him that.”
Ouch.
Everyone wants to pile on Clowney for sitting out, dogging it a bit, taking off plays and now asking out of a conference game that could have essentially ended the Gamecocks’ hopes of playing in the SEC Championship Game had they fallen to a Wildcats’ upset on Saturday. The thing is, if any of you were in Clowney’s position, you would be considering things much more from his point of view.
Even if he were to sit out the rest of the season, Clowney is a likely top five pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, if not still the top pick overall. If he does come back and have the same impact he did through his first couple of seasons, then he will assuredly be a top two selection.
But, what if he gets injured to the point where he is forced to miss the rest of this season and beyond? Keep in mind that we do not have to look back too far to see what can happen when a player suffers an injury that keeps him out not only for the rest of the college football season, but also past the NFL Scouting Combine, the NFL Draft and into the 2014 NFL regular season.
In Clowney’s case, he doesn’t have to look past his former teammate, Marcus Lattimore.
Last season, Lattimore suffered one of the most gruesome sports injuries ever witnessed when he broke his leg against the Tennessee Volunteers. He went from a possible mid-to-late first round pick with guaranteed money to a fourth round pick who may still miss this entire season for the San Francisco 49ers. It is likely that it cost him between $5 to $7 million.
I get how it looks for Clowney right now, and that is not good. He looks like a bad teammate who selfishly is only looking out for his own future. It looks like he quit on his teammates, the coaching staff and the fans. It looks like he has quit on college football in what could be a very special season in Columbia.
Just remember that things are not always how they look. And, while yes, Clowney may be focusing far more on his future and potential earnings than the players and coaches who have his back right now, if he does not look out for his future and best interests, then who will?
If Clowney wanted to sit out this season for South Carolina, I would not have blamed him one bit. After all, he had very little to gain and everything to lose.
But, if he was going to do that, then he should have done it officially and sat out the entire season. He needs to show commitment one way or the other. Either play or don’t play, but do it the right way.
That is one thing that Clowney must still learn.
One thought on “NCAA Football Rumors: Has Jadeveon Clowney Quit South Carolina Gamecocks Football?”