Gamecocks great Jadeveon Clowney voted among top 45 players in the NFL
Former South Carolina football star Jadeveon Clowney doesn’t yet know where he’ll play in the NFL in 2020. But he does have a healthy level of respect from his peer players.
Clowney was voted as the league’s No. 41 player in the NFL Top-100, an annual ranking compiled by the NFL Network.
The seventh-year player has been looking to a big deal this offseason, his first after getting traded to the Seattle Seahawks from the Houston Texans. The former No. 1 overall draft pick and national recruit before that has been a Pro Bowler and All-Pro at different points in his career.
“He’s still without an NFL home, but makes the list for the fourth consecutive year, experiencing a significant rise despite diminished production,” NFL.com’s Adam Maya wrote. “There are times when Clowney looks like the most dominant edge rusher in the league. Just imagine if he played to that potential for an entire season.”
Last season, he only had three sacks, but made 31 tackles and scored on both an interception return and fumble return. He had put up `8 1/2 sacks and 42 quarterback hits the previous two years, both playing outside linebacker in the Texans’ schemes.
He overcame injuries early in his career, making Pro Bowls from 2016-2018 and a second-team All-Pro spot in 2016.
Clowney came to Columbia as arguably of the most decorated recruit in the history of the sport and delivered a stellar career. He was a first-team All-American in 2012 and 2013, earning the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award as a sophomore. He was an impact player from the jump and came in sixth in Heisman voting in 2012.
