Jadeveon Clowney has become a household name in the football world.
During the college recruiting process Clowney told coaches that he wanted to be the NFL’s top pick in three years (opposed to four), as he was the top high school football recruit in the class of 2011.
That very bold assertion, which was just a dream, could become a reality on May 8 when the Houston Texans make the first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
It seems like ESPN personalities and draft “experts” Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. are always coming up with new mock-draft projections, and though their projections constantly change, both are certain that Clowney is a top-five pick if not the No. 1 overall pick.
We won’t know for sure where Clowney will be selected until draft day, but I hope and believe that he should not be the No. 1 pick. If he is, I hope the Texans organization is aware of the risk it is taking.
There is no doubt that Clowney is a physical specimen, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 266 pounds. He also has astonishing speed and stats that prove his effectiveness in racking up 13 sacks in 2012 and three last season, when he was routinely double-covered by opposing offenses.
But aside from the obvious physical benefits Clowney brings to the table, I think he is arrogant, lacks work ethic, has encountered multiple run-ins with the law and has been injury-prone. It all makes me question whether he deserves to be the top pick.
It is obvious Clowney thinks highly of himself and his abilities.
“I’ve got what it takes, I believe, to go out there and set the tone for the next guy coming up. And to help my team out winning games,” he told reporters during a recent interview.
And though some call that confidence, I call it arrogance.
In terms of work ethic and dedication, I am troubled by the fact that he was injured and could not practice in preseason camp. Instead of being on the sidelines supporting and encouraging his teammates, he sat in the locker room on his cellphone until Steve Spurrier, his coach at South Carolina, told him to leave the locker room and go practice. Let’s also not forget when Clowney pulled himself from the game against Kentucky just minutes before kickoff on Oct. 5.
Off the field, the All-American defensive end has been pulled over twice for speeding. In December, he was stopped going 110 miles-per-hour in a 70 mph zone. Less than three weeks later, he was stopped again an hour before the team was scheduled to depart for Florida, where it would play in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day. Clowney was going 84 mph in a 55-mph zone.
Lastly, injuries have piled up for Clowney, who has yet to play a down in the NFL. Problem areas include his foot, back, head and neck.
There is no doubt that Clowney is a talented athlete who could have a promising career, but I think his lack of maturity and leadership — along with a history of injuries — should create some skepticism from the NFL.
Christopher Miller is a sophomore studying broadcast journalism and sport management and a sports columnist for The Post. When do you think Clowney should be drafted? Let him know at cm001111@ohiou.edu.
