Jadeveon Clowney

At 31 years old, Jadeveon Clowney has this physical status:

Jadeveon Davarus Clowney (also known as J.D.) was a student at the University of Jadeveon Davarus Clowney (also known as J.D. Clowney (JEV-on), born February 14, 1993, is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL).

He graduated from South Pointe High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he played college football at South Carolina.

With Defensive Player of the Year distinctions in the Southern Conference, Clowney set South Carolina school records in quarterback sacks (13) and tackles for a loss (23.5) per season as a sophomore.

In the 2014 NFL Draft, Clowney was drafted first overall by the Houston Texans.

He was with them for five seasons, winning three Pro Bowls before being traded to the Seahawks prior to the 2019 season.

Personal life

Josenna Clowney, the mother of Clowney, has worked at the Frito-Lay plant in Charlotte, North Carolina, since 1994. After almost 12 years in jail for robing a Rock Hill check-cashing company in 1995, his father, David Morgan, was released from jail in 2006. Clowney was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents, John and Josephine Clowney, as well as his mother's long-time boyfriend, Christopher Jones, who was detained for a large portion of his childhood. Demon Clowney, his cousin, now plays linebacker for the Ole Miss Rebels.

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High school career

Clowney, a born February 14, 1993 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, attended South Pointe High School, where he competed for the South Pointe High School football team. He ran back and defensive end for the school's junior varsity team as a freshman in 2007. He spent his sophomore year with rising seniors Stephon Gilmore and DeVonte Holloman (both four-star recruits) on a South Pointe varsity, which ended in a 9–4 record. Clowney was a permanent fixture at defensive end by spring practice. "We knew we had something special." In that massive athletic body, he was 13 years old. "Because of all the wrangling on our offense this spring and fall," said Bobby Carroll, his coach at South Pointe. South Pointe defeated Northwestern High School 35-14 for the 2008 South Carolina AAAA Division II championship and a No. 0 on the season, with 35–14 triumph over them. In the annual MaxPreps high school rankings, the school has a 3rd place. Despite playing nearly every season with a bone spur in his foot, Clowney had 17 sacks. In January 2009, he decided to have bone surgery.

South Pointe's senior class, including Gilmore and Holloman, had 31 seniors graduate from the 2008 season. Nevertheless, Clowney helped the team reach a 10–4 record on the season and a state semifinal appearance, where the Stallions lost to Northwestern. Clowney finished the season with 144 tackles and 23 sacks. Clowney had 162 tackles, 29.5 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, 11 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, and six fumble recoveries, as he led his team to a 13-2 record in his senior season. South Pointe qualified for the second time in three years, but losing 23–27 at Williams-Brice Stadium in the United States. Despite this, Clowney was named South Carolina's 2010 Mr. Football. During his three varsity seasons, South Pointe was 38-6, which was 38–6.

Clowney left Spartanburg for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, where he had 5 tackles (2 solo, 3 assists), 3 sacks for a loss of 17 yards, 2 tackles, and 2 quarterback hurries. On every snap he played against the left tackle from North Carolina, Clowney was lined up against the left tackle, who had five holding calls. Clowney was taken to Orlando, Florida, for a week of Under Armour All-America Game development and then the all-star game itself after the Shrine Bowl. He had seven interceptions and 1.5 sacks for the Red, making him the Red's leading tackler. Analysts were particularly interested in his match with Cyrus Kouandjio.

Clowney later went to New York City for a photo shoot for an ESPN the Magazine feature story that appeared in the journal's February 2011 issue.

Clowney was often regarded as the best player in his class during and throughout his middle school and high school careers. "He has been a natural performer who may have tried for the top position in several previous classes," ESPN characterized him as "a unique talent who may have fought for the top spot in several classes." Both major recruiting firms, Rivals.com and Scout.com, as well as ESPNU, said Clowney was not only a five-star recruit but also the No. 76 candidate. Overall, there is a 1st hope of the 2011 class, with little changes since his senior year. He received scholarship offers from almost every perennial BCS powerhouse, which was surprising. However, Clowney's decision was not made until after National Signing Day 2011 was postponed.

Clowney declared his dedication to South Carolina on his eighteenth birthday, choosing the Gamecocks over Clemson, Alabama, Louisiana State, and Florida State. Marcus Lattimore of Duncan Byrnes was the third straight South Carolina player to sign with the Gamecocks, following in the footsteps of his South Pointe teammates Gilmore and Marcus Lattimore. "I wanted to play in the SEC." It was simple," Clowney said. "I knew a week ago." "I just tried not to tell anybody." Just days before, a New York Times article challenged Clowney's academic credibility, but Clowney assured reporters that he had no doubts and would be fine.

Clowney was also on the school's track and field team, where he competed as a sprinter, shot putter, and discus thrower. With a personal record of 11.43 seconds, he finished ninth in the 100 meters at the 2011 York County Championships. In the shot put at the 2011 State Championships, he set a personal record of 14.82 meters, as well as running the fourth leg, helping the relay team win a third-place finish in 42.86 seconds.

College career

Clowney played for the University of South Carolina, where he was a member of the South Carolina Gamecocks football team under head coach Steve Spurrier from 2011 to 2013.

Clowney played in all 12 games of the season as a true freshman at South Carolina. He started the season off against East Carolina, becoming the first freshman to start on the defensive line since Travian Robertson in 2007. Clowney had seven tackles, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry on his debut. Clowney was fired in the second quarter after starting against Georgia for his first career quarterback sacking, facing Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray for a 7-yard loss. Murray was sacked at the 10-yard line, causing him to fumble with just over three minutes remaining and the Gamecocks clinging to a 38–35 lead. Melvin Ingram, a fellow defensive lineman, regained the football and returned it for a touchdown to put South Carolina up by 10. Clowney lost two fumbles against Vanderbilt, one of which was recovered by Ingram and returned for a touchdown. Clowney was fired, coerced to fumble, and two quarterback hurries against Mississippi State in mid-October. Clowney had four tackles and two sacks of quarterback Taylor Martinez in South Carolina's 30-13 victory over Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl.

Clowney had 36 tackles for the season, with 12 for a loss of yardage. He finished eighth in the SEC with 8.0 sacks, the only freshman in the top ten, and five forked fumbles. He received SEC Freshman of the Year and All-SEC 2nd Team awards from the league's coaches, and he was also selected to multiple Freshman All-American 1st Team lists, including The Sporting News, FWAA, Rivals.com, and CBSSports.com.

Clowney was the best defensive player in college football during his sophomore season. He set the school single-season record for sacks (13.5), while leading South Carolina to an 11–2 (6–2) record (23.5). He has also collected 54 tackles (40 solo) and three forcible fumbles. Clowney was credited with seven tackles against UAB, as well as 2.0 sacks for loss and 2.0 sacks, for which he was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. Tajh Boyd was sacked by the Tigers for a single-game school record 4.5 times, earning SEC Defensive Player and Defensive Lineman of the Week awards once more in his 27–17 victory over Clemson. It was also a Clemson Memorial Stadium record, beating the previous record held by Notre Dame's Ross Browner (1977) and Virginia Tech's Bruce Smith (1984), both College Football Hall of Famers. Clowney was named the nation's best defensive finish in addition to being a Unanimous All-American. In addition, he was a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Lombardi Trophy, and came in 6th overall in the 2012 Heisman Trophy voting. Following Clowney's outstanding sophomore season, he was voted the 2012 AT&T All-America Player of the Year by the fans on January 7.

Clowney was instrumental in the 2013 Outback Bowl, leading the Gamecocks to a 33-28 victory over the Michigan Wolverines. After a turbulent first down call in Michigan's favor, he gained instant fame for a hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith who had eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. The hit resulted in a fumble that Clowney himself recovered, which resulted in a touchdown on the next play. On July 17, 2013, Clowney received the 2013 ESPY Award for best play for that moment.

Following a lot of off-season excitement, Clowney began his junior season as a front runner for the Heisman Trophy. Clowney was "tired" and only registered three tackles against North Carolina in the season opener, which was weakened by gastroenteritis. Clowney's Heisman chances got off to a slow start to the season, despite being plagued by minor injuries. He was forced to leave the Kentucky game due to a muscle strain near his rib area, causing public outrage. Clowney posted a season-high five tackles, four alone, in a much-anticipated rematch with Tennessee offensive tackle Antonio Richardson at Neyland Stadium, one of which was much lauded. On November 23, he missed another game against Coastal Carolina after suffering with bone spurs in his right foot.

Clowney's junior season featured 35 tackles, 10.5 for a loss of possession of yardage, and three quarterback sacks, significantly lower in each category relative to his sophomore season. Nevertheless, he was still a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) pick. However, Clowney was only chosen to one of the American Football Coaches Association in 2012 after receiving unanimous All-American accolades in 2012.

Clowney had five tackles in 2014 Capital One Bowl, four of whom were for loss, so he decided not to play in college and enter the NFL Draft after South Carolina's 34-24 victory over Wisconsin.

Professional career

In the 2014 NFL Draft, Clowney was projected as a top-three pick. "Clowney is a unique talent, basically to the defensive end spot, where Andrew Luck and RG3 were to the quarterback position," ESPN analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. said. Bucky Brooks, a football analyst, characterized Clowney as a "meaner, nastier version of Julius Peppers." Clowney's injuries, as well as his weaker showing early in his junior season, did not intimidate NFL executives. Clowney is still ranked among the top-two picks by late September 2013. After the college season ended, Clowney was still predicted No. 1 on the charts. Sports Illustrated, number one. Clowney confirmed in a postgame interview after the Capital One Bowl that he would be in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Clowney set a new personal record in this draft at the NFL Combine in February 2014, breaking a new personal record in that series.

In the 2014 NFL Draft, Clowney was selected as the first overall pick by the Houston Texans. The Texans selected Clowney and Mario Williams as the third player overall. He was also the first defensive player selected first overall by any team since Williams, as well as the first defensive player to be the unanimous highest recruit and be named first overall in the NFL. On June 6, 2014, Clowney agreed to a four-year contract worth $22.272 million plus a $14.518 million signing bonus.

Clowney made his professional debut on August 9, 2014 against the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason game, where he made a tackle for a loss of 5 yards. Clowney sacked Matt Ryan after his second pro sacking against the Atlanta Falcons in his second preseason game. Clowney began to experience concussion-like symptoms following a helmet-to-helmet collision with tight end Jacob Tamme during dual practice and did not participate for the remainder of the preseason.

Clowney made his regular season debut against the Washington Redskins on September 7 on September 7, making one tackle for a loss but losing the game in the second quarter due to a knee injury. Clowney had a torn meniscus, according to a later date. On September 8, he underwent surgery to repair the meniscus, and recovery time took 4 to six weeks. On December 4, Clowney was put on injured reserve to recover further from knee surgery, ending his rookie season with seven tackles in four games. It was eventually revealed that Clowney had microfracture surgery.

Clowney did not play in the preseason this year, but he returned against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 13, 2015, making four tackles, one of which was for loss, in the 20-27 loss. In a game against the Miami Dolphins on October 25, 2015, Clowney was fired for his first regular season football sacking. He had 40 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and six passes blocked in 13 games (9 starts) and six passes defended.

In 2016, Clowney was named to his first Pro Bowl and named First-Team All-Pro. He was also selected to the Sporting News All-Pro team for a loss, 6 sacks, 16 tackles for a loss, 52 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 2 passes defensed in 14 starts. In an AFC wild card game against the Oakland Raiders on January 7, 2017, he made his first NFL interception against Connor Cook in a 27-14 victory. He was ranked 49th among his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

The Texans selected Clowney's deal as the fifth-year option on April 14, 2017.

Cornerback Kareem Jackson caused a fumble on rookie Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross, who Clowney recovered and returned for 49 yards to set up the Texans offense on a field goal scoring drive in Week 2. In the 13–9 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Clowney's play was crucial because points were at risk. The New England Patriots defeated the New England Patriots on September 24, the first time on the public. In a 36-33 loss, Clowney scored his first NFL touchdown off a fumble by Tom Brady. Clowney was selected to his second Pro Bowl on December 19, 2017, but he was unable to participate due to knee surgery. He was ranked #32 by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

In Week 4, Clowney saw four tackles, two sacks, recover a fumble, and return it for a touchdown, making him AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Clowney fired Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles on December 23, but not in a legal manner. For the offence, he was fined $40,110. He had nine sacks, 47 total tackles, one forced fumble, one forced fumble, and one touchdown in the 2018 season, as a result of a touchdown.

The Texans branded Clowney on March 4, 2019.

The Texans traded Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Jacob Martin, Barkevious Mingo, and a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, on August 31, 2019. In week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Clowney made his Seahawks debut against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the 21-20 victory, Clowney sacked Andy Dalton once more. In Seattle's 27-0 victory, his first-ever regular season interception took place in Arizona off a screen pass from rookie quarterback Kyler Murray; he returned it to the end zone for a touchdown. As the Seahawks continued to defeat the Rams 30-30 on Thursday Night Football, Clowney forced a fumble from running back Todd Gurley and recovered it. Clowney lost by teammate Ziggy Ansah after losing by 27-20. Clowney had a strip sack on Jimmy Garoppolo, but was recovered by teammate Poona Ford and recovered a fumble puter Jarran Reed on Garoppolo for a 10 yard touchdown in week 10 against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. For his play, he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

In the NFC Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Clowney had 5 tackles and sacked Josh McCown once, giving the victory a 17-19 victory. Clowney made a helmet-to-helmet tackle on Eagles starting quarterback Carson Wentz, knocking him out of the game early in the first quarter. The NFL announced that it would not discipline Clowney for the smash afterwards. Clowney was named one of the 2020 Pro Bowl alternates on January 17, 2020.

Clowney joined the Tennessee Titans on September 8, 2020, earning him one-year. With a knee injury, he was put on injured reserve on November 21, 2020.

Clowney signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns on April 14, 2021. During his first season in Cleveland, Clowney had a good season, appearing in 14 games, 9 sacks (his most since 2018), and 2 forced fumbles. He was also named a 2022 Pro Bowl alternate.

Clowney re-signed with the Browns on a one-year contract worth up to $11 million on May 22, 2022.

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