COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jadeveon Clowney will be in the shadows of South Pointe High School a week from Sunday when the Cleveland Browns come to Charlotte to face the Panthers.
But that will be the second trip to the Carolinas in as many weekends as he was at South Carolina's season opening win over Georgia State. Clowney was on the field at halftime as his #7 jersey has officially been retired.
The last time South Carolina retired a jersey was in 1987. Clowney has been approached by South Carolina officials the last few years about coming back to Columbia for just such a ceremony and finally, everyone's schedule worked out to where Clowney could be at the stadium in person for the ceremony.
The number one prospect in the country coming out of South Pointe High School, Clowney certainly lived up to the billing. He was a First-Team Associated Press All-American in 2012 and 2013. In 2012, Clowney's sophomore season saw him register 54 tackles, including a school record 23.5 for loss, and 13 sacks, which was also a school record. Clowney won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's top defensive end. He was also a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy, the Rotary Lombardi Award and the Bednarik Award.
The second South Carolina player to be named a unanimous first-team All-American, Clowney was the first pick of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. He is in his ninth NFL season and his second in Cleveland.