We all got caught up in the hype.
If there is a serious football fan who denied any exhilaration about the future of South Carolina junior defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney, they were lying.
Clowney has always had buzz surrounding him. He was the top-ranked prospect coming out of high school. He chose the No. 14 Gamecocks, the school he grew up about an hour away from, over perennial powerhouse and two-time defending national champions No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Clemson.
He made the jump from well-known to a household-name after a controversial call in the fourth quarter of the Outback Bowl put him in position to burst through the offensive line and hammer Michigan running back Vincent Smith. The hit forced a fumble that Clowney himself recovered. South Carolina scored on the next play and eventually won 33-28. This won the ESPY award for best play of the year.
A rare, freakish talent, success on the field and stardom contributed to the Clowney media storm surrounding his potential to be the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. It's not often that a player be so touted as the top pick before the college football season has even started.
Unfortunately, the season did start, and question are being asked of Clowney's dedication and health.
While exact details are still fuzzy, what is known is that Clowney did not practice the Thursday before last Saturday's game against Kentucky, he was cleared by South Carolina's medical staff to play in the game and finally he approached coaches on Saturday and told them he was in pain and could not play.
Clowney has also missed practices and sat out plays during games this season due to various issues including sickness and bone spurs in his right foot.
It's not often that a player be so extraordinary that spectators (not Clowney himself) seriously argue that he should sit out the entire season to avoid any risk of injury that would hurt his professional career.
The people who defend this view are a select few, but there is another side of the debate which is much more crowded.
There is a cacophony of criticism surrounding Clowney's work-ethic and dedication to the team. People accuse him of giving up on his teammates, putting himself before everyone else and in some cases hurting the team.
But Clowney is more of a victim behaving rationally in a complex system than a prima donna using others as a stepping stone to millions of dollars.
He was a witness to former teammate Marcus Lattimore's horrific knee injury that killed his draft stock and almost demolished his professional football career.
Lattimore was one of the top running back prospects in the country, but after his injury on Oct. 27, 2012, he fell in the draft to the fourth round and is currently a member of the San Francisco 49ers Physically-Unable-to-Perform list.
A serious injury to Clowney would cost him millions of dollars.
That is not an exaggeration. The first pick of last year's draft Eric Fisher signed a contract for four years and $22.19 million. The Baltimore Ravens signed Kyle Juszcyk (the player drafted one pick before Lattimore) to a four year and $2.46 million contract.
I am not advocating for Clowney to sit out the season, but in accordance with all reason, he should exhibit every ounce of concern and attention available to making sure his body is as healthy as can be before, during and after every practice and every game.
The complex interworking of our media culture that hyped Clowney as a prospect of the century and the exorbitant NFL draft salaries in comparison to the unsalaried college players lead Clowney and those looking out for his best interest to define his best interest as staying healthy.
The purist will argue that Clowney should forget the money and play for the love of the game and his teammates. Before accusing Clowney of letting his teammates down by acting selfish, remember all of the factors that led him to this cautionary state and start by fixing the problems there.
Is Jadeveon Clowney selfish when being cautious? Should he sit out the year and prepare for the NFL Draft? Let Jonah know what you think by emailing sports@dailycardinal.com.
