Jadeveon Clowney: Would He Be Better Off Not Playing in 2013?
Jadeveon Clowney is a mutant. He’s the most impactful player in college football. Barring Kansas City Chief silliness, he would have probably been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Clowney is only two years removed from high school, though, so he remains ineligible. His toil next season will benefit ESPN, CBS, South Carolina and the Southeastern Conference.
Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer raises an interesting hypothetical. Would Clowney be better off avoiding the risk of injury by hiring an agent, quitting South Carolina and spending the next year training for the NFL Combine? It won’t happen, though it is an interesting thought exercise.
What does Clowney gain from playing college football one more year? Exposure? He has no need of it. A further year of football development? Maybe. Replicating live competition may be impossible, though does a year of destroying those less gifted improve him more than spending a year of intensive technique training?
One could argue the social and intellectual value of a year spent in college, but (a) he’s majoring in football (b) he could continue to attend classes without playing football and (c) good citizenship has never been a requirement for playing in the NFL. Do the benefits of playing against live opponents and spending a year in college heighten his draft stock? Do they do so enough to outweigh the risk of injury?
Would NFL teams, acting with pure, cynical self-interest, frown upon a player, acting with pure, cynical self-interest? Perhaps. An ESPN talking head might blow off steam. A “league source” might leak a bitchy comment to a reporter. But in a league that tolerates animal torturers, domestic abusers and reasonably doubted rapists, does that really affect his draft stock? Does a team take the less freakish defensive end because that fellow was true to his school?
Jadeveon Clowney will return to South Carolina next year, though the only beneficiaries are college football fans and business interests. He’s just biding time.
[Photo via USA Today Sports]
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88 Responses to “Jadeveon Clowney: Would He Be Better Off Not Playing in 2013?”
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February 11th, 2013 at 2:01 PM
Worked out well for Mike Williams and Mo Clarett….
February 11th, 2013 at 2:02 PM
can’t argue with any of it, assuming his game has no holes
February 11th, 2013 at 2:03 PM
agreed that the best way to teach kids to swim is throw them right into the deep end.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:05 PM
It’s not like he plays in the B1G or ACC.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:06 PM
Good lord.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:06 PM
he probably would be better off sitting out theoretically. depends on his personality though. would he make good use of the year or spend it dicking around like mike williams?
February 11th, 2013 at 2:09 PM
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
February 11th, 2013 at 2:09 PM
I’m sorry. Am I at Bleacher Report?
February 11th, 2013 at 2:11 PM
Top Ten Things Jadeveon Clowney Would Do with a Year Off [slideshow]
February 11th, 2013 at 2:12 PM
How do you write this without mentioning Mo Clarett/Mike Williams? Not saying he’s the same type of kid but has anyone successfully done the year-off thing?
Likewise how many “can’t miss” guys have really destroyed their draft status due to an injury suffered in a game their final year? Sam Bradford was out his final year and still went #1 overall. Willis McGahee went in the 1st round even though everybody knew he’d miss his entire rookie season.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:12 PM
3. Pay tuition to got to class
February 11th, 2013 at 2:12 PM
funny stuff about the paterno report over the weekend
well, depending on your POV
February 11th, 2013 at 2:13 PM
He’d drop in the draft, and if he gets injured, would never get that money back. I feel like this whole post is just ignoring any logic, and trying to make a pre-conceived point.
If Clowney leaves school and trains on his own, he won’t have free medical support in case of an injury.
Also… could you provide evidence he doesn’t go to class or care about school at all? Some football players actually do, and I feel like if you have no basis for saying that, it’s just assassinating his character for no reason.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:13 PM
Unlimited handies from vulnerable co-eds?
February 11th, 2013 at 2:13 PM
There is so much wrong in this post.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:15 PM
No it’s not.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:15 PM
Or even the FSU dude (Myron Rolle?) who got the Rhodes scholarship and dropped after taking a year away from competition, coaching.
But taking a year off would completely tell the NFL Clowney is about himself, and money, and has no committment to the game or teammates. I could read a well-written post suggesting that wouldn’t be the case, but this isn’t it.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:15 PM
Only football players that care about academics go to Michigan and major in General Studies or Kineseology.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:17 PM
amble
February 11th, 2013 at 2:17 PM
wwos, doubt he’d drop much in the draft. just too much talent. way less injury risk not playing and there is insurance to cover should he get hurt training
February 11th, 2013 at 2:17 PM
redick, duffy isn’t saying he should, he’s just throwing out a what if
February 11th, 2013 at 2:17 PM
Defend yourself. Make a point. Don’t just say shit. Why would he be better… what’s he going to gain from vulturing agents and limited coaching/training partners.
He’ll owe his first two years in paychecks to people he associates with over the next year.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:18 PM
I think the fundamental problem here is you don’t know what the word “maybe” means.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:19 PM
But taking a year off would completely tell the NFL Clowney is about himself, and money, and has no committment to the game or teammates.
you mean he would look bad for protecting his most valuable asset. he hasn;t been paid yet you know (this ain’t auburn)
you need some cynicism boy
February 11th, 2013 at 2:19 PM
and if he plays, too.
Dropping from #1 to #12 is a 50% loss in guaranteed money. If he took the time off, I could easily see a drop based on lack of competition/video and character questions because of it.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:19 PM
Yes, mostly to see/read Jay V’s reaction.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:19 PM
What does Clowney gain from playing college football one more year?
He could gain a few kids like Travis Henry. All he’s going to do is screw sec poon, and play football.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:20 PM
he wouldn’t “gain much”. the purpose would be to avoid injury, as he has little to gain in the way of draft stock anyway
February 11th, 2013 at 2:20 PM
Link. I’m not saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but I’m gonna make the perfectly reasonable guess that he hasn’t suddenly found a love of academics.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:21 PM
I wouldn’t blame him, but the NFL totally would.
NFL would much rather have a rapist-DUIis than a guy who put himself first or isn’t insanely committed to hitting his head against other heads until he eats the business end of the shotgun.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:22 PM
Play the payers!
February 11th, 2013 at 2:22 PM
i think you are overstating the character concerns the nfl would have based on that potential decision. mike williams went tenth as a worse prospect
February 11th, 2013 at 2:22 PM
South Carolina actually has a pretty easy schedule next year. The two toughest games, Florida and Georgia would be good challenges for Clowney. Stay in school and have a historically dominant year in the SEC sounds like a good plan. Would also increase his brand with all the publicity for a Heisman run. Equating in more sponsorship money when he goes to the NFL.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:22 PM
rapist-DUIis
i think this group ranks highly on the me-first scale
February 11th, 2013 at 2:23 PM
It would take a Jay Williams motorcycle accident for an injury to keep Clowney out of next year’s top 5.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:23 PM
Sure, I believe that. Just wanted to see something, and make sure it wasn’t being unfair.
And Clowney could drop by playing too, esp being double/triple teamed.
If you fight dogs for a living, you don’t want a dog who stops halfway through and asks why is he doing this for no reward. You want a property who does what he’s told, until he dies. And that is how the NFL treats its players, and what it wants.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:23 PM
I like how you raise the point that playing against SEC competition may help him develop any more, but then by the end of this (short) piece, you’ve completely dismissed it.
I like this option –
Clowney reads this and does it. He quits SC, hires an agent, gives the middle finger to the NCAA while waving the mobile version of this article on his iphone over his head, hires a staff of people to help him train, and then injures himself while tripping over a tackling dummy.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:23 PM
Also, I want to launch Katherine Webb’s Hello Kitty into space.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:24 PM
And that turned out well.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:25 PM
And then SC declines to pay for the surgery. Also… good luck finding a studio apartment that comes with an ice bath and masseur.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:26 PM
Pretty much. I think Myron Rolle was a marginal NFL prospect but the whole Rhodes thing REALLY dropped his stock. It’s OK to have outside interests if you’re a punter (Chris Kluwe) but for anyone else it’s seen as a liability.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:26 PM
You should copy and paste this into the Vick post.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:26 PM
I don’t think it’s the dumbest question to ask, just that it hasn’t been asked in a reasonable or logical manner yet.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:26 PM
I think what Duffy is trying to say is that Kenny McKinley and OJ Murdock wouldn’t have shot themselves had they been allowed to leave South Carolina earlier.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:27 PM
You want a property who does what he’s told, until he dies. And that is how the NFL treats its players, and what it wants.
but he’s not defying anyone. no one owns him (careful now). he is the rare player who holds the power. the nfl wants talent, and whether he plays matter not as long as he shows up at the 14 combine and proves he hasn;t lost anything and perhaps gained
/now, not showing up for the combine would be stupid
February 11th, 2013 at 2:27 PM
/ Clicks off Craigslist apartments tab
// Grumbles
February 11th, 2013 at 2:27 PM
So I’ve never played football but it seems like a full year of practice, film, and live game action would be far better for his development than a year of nothing but “intensive technique training”.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:27 PM
Clowney could take a year off to end homelessness, succeed at it, and see his draft stock fall for it.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:27 PM
WWOS is laying out a pretty good case that college football players are well compensated for their services.
/last call
February 11th, 2013 at 2:28 PM
Jesus Christ this is such an ignorant argument. So bigger stronger players are immune to injuries?
February 11th, 2013 at 2:29 PM
I also think Vlad made a good point in comment #33…and he didn’t even throw Jason Maxiell into the mix.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:30 PM
LOL.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:30 PM
Ngata just got hurt in the Super Bowl…he probably dropped a few pounds and exposed himself to injury.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:31 PM
Maybe.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:31 PM
as i said about williams, he is a lazy fuck. hence sitting out would require discipline/work ethic
February 11th, 2013 at 2:32 PM
Esquire talks to the SEAL who shot Bin Laden
February 11th, 2013 at 2:32 PM
Thought experiments, like any other experiments, are failures when they begin with the result and work backwords.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:32 PM
But Courtney Brown would be appreciative to sleep in a warm bed once again.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:32 PM
I don’t remember his stock leading up to the draft, but if Williams doesn’t get Millen’d at #10 was he still going in the top 15/20?
February 11th, 2013 at 2:33 PM
How was he a bust? So, so dominant at Penn State…
February 11th, 2013 at 2:35 PM
*in the NFL.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:36 PM
I couldn’t use Ryan Leaf or Charles Rogers since they both presently have warm beds and three meals a day at their disposal.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:37 PM
I seem to recall that no, he was not likely to, but I’ve done a lot of drugs, man.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:37 PM
I recall him being pretty high on lists. Also, a lot of the talking head chatter was how MoCo was a late round pick, but the case could open the doors for Mike Williams.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:38 PM
HA!
In any event, I can tell you that Clowney is a man on a mission this coming season, and that mission involves two things…a national championship and a Heisman Trophy. I don’t think the Cocks are winning a title, but I do think he will be clutching the trophy on the podium at the DAC in December.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:39 PM
…and then in swoops Mike Shanahan.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:41 PM
I get the field of white QBs, you get Clowney. Stakes?
February 11th, 2013 at 2:42 PM
Courtney Brown was a pretty damn good player when he was healthy which was basically never.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:42 PM
Missing Bridgewater, Miller and Yeldon.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:43 PM
We meet in Lancaster for a stuff-your-face buffet dinner? Loser pays.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:43 PM
God that was such a ridiculous pick. A third fucking rounder. Shanahan was the worst at the Draft. Just the worst.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:44 PM
Deal.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:45 PM
Just curious, do they call buffets “smorgasboards” there?
February 11th, 2013 at 2:48 PM
Oh, you better believe they do. Heart of Amish country.
And this place is the king:
http://www.millerssmorgasbord.com/menu-lunch-and-dinner.php
February 11th, 2013 at 2:50 PM
Only time I’ve been to Lancaster I went to Miller’s.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:50 PM
That was at least twenty years ago though. Bring it on, you genetic freak beardos.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:51 PM
A year off ain’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:55 PM
Katherine Webb?
/ Take that, Dockett
February 11th, 2013 at 2:55 PM
This article needs more questions.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:56 PM
You give retirement and idleness a bad name.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:57 PM
Nada, retirement is sweet.
“Idleness is a dangerous thing”, says the man who has already had two naps since sunrise.
February 11th, 2013 at 3:01 PM
I would think that size has little to do to mitigate injuries in contact sports. You may be able to absorb the repeated blows better over a longer time, but players are hurt in practice, too.
February 11th, 2013 at 3:02 PM
Speaking for the Old Man, yes, it was a ridiculous pick. Especially when Shanahan found Terrell Davis later in the draft!
February 11th, 2013 at 3:11 PM
What does Clowney gain from playing college football one more year?
I realize this comment isn’t appropriately cynical, but what if Clowney, you know, actually likes playing football for SoCo? Then he could spend another year doing something that he enjoys. I know, radical thought.
February 11th, 2013 at 3:19 PM
We meet in Lancaster for a stuff-your-face buffet dinner? Loser pays.
Deal.
you better get this gamblin’ ok’d by Lebanon Levi first
/Amish Mafia
February 11th, 2013 at 3:58 PM
Just curious, do they call buffets “smorgasboards” there?
gay spas
February 11th, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Naps are fucking decadent
February 12th, 2013 at 12:40 PM
Comments #8 and #9 about B/R made me laugh pretty hard.
Jadeveon Clowney not being allowed to play in the NFL is an extraordinarily strong example of the injustice that is the “three years removed” rule. If nothing else, I hope he takes out a strong insurance policy against injury. He saw firsthand what happened to Marcus Lattimore, who could have been a great NFL player in 2011 but instead found himself stuck at South Carolina and summarily destroyed by the injury bug over the past two seasons.