South Carolina's most feared defender — the most physically dominant defensive player in college football.
Jadeveon Clowney was born in Rock Hill, South Carolina in 1993. He attended the University of South Carolina and became the most physically imposing defensive player in college football. He recorded 24 sacks and 153 tackles across three seasons. He was a two-time consensus All-American and two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He won the Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman or linebacker. His defining moment came in the 2013 Outback Bowl — his helmetless, helmet-stripping strip sack of Michigan running back Vincent Smith, forcing a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown — was replayed millions of times and generated the most viral clip in college football bowl history. Houston Texans selected him first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. His professional career was marked by persistent knee injuries that limited his availability despite his devastating impact when healthy. His South Carolina career — three years of defensive dominance in the SEC — established him as the most purely physical college defensive player of his generation and the consensus number one overall prospect in the strongest football conference in the country.
Consensus All-American 2x
Career Honours
- Consensus All-American 2x
- SEC Defensive Player of Year 2x
- Lombardi Award
- First overall pick 2014