Thayer Evans’ “exclusive inside look” at Jadeveon Clowney’s recruiting is one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while. In it, you’ll find out that Clowney, who’s struggled academically and has a learning disability, received his first offer from Georgia Tech and that Alabama hired away Clemson’s defensive line coach just in time for him to deliver the perfect negative recruiting blow:
But Clowney wanted to hear Rumph explain why he left Clemson. “They can’t win there,” Clowney recalled Rumph telling him.
“We’re going to win here. I couldn’t promise you that at Clemson, but I can promise you that here.”
It didn’t convince Clowney. But it did lead to the best story of all.
In early December, Saban made his home visit with Clowney. The town was abuzz, with vehicles slowly streaming by Clowney’s mother’s house in hopes of catching a glimpse of the legendary coach. Inside, Clowney wasn’t that impressed.
“I don’t see no big deal like everybody else,” he said later. “They’d say, ‘He’s the king of all of football.’ The guy ain’t nothing but 5-5. He’s a short guy. Everybody’s going crazy on Nick Saban.”
During the visit, Saban touted Alabama’s graduation rate, its success in sending players to the NFL and playing Clowney at both defensive end and outside linebacker. Clowney and his family could hardly get a word in.
“Nick Saban’s going to take over and talk,” Clowney said. “He talked the whole time he was there. I was dozing off. He can talk. A lot. He talked for a whole straight hour.”
There’s a certain combination of cockiness and cluelessness that adolescent boys seem to be able to pull off. Clowney nailed it effortlessly there. He’s going to be a fun interview for the next three years.
Get The Picture 
It might be 2013 before you hear from Clowney. Word on the street is that he’s headed to JUCO. Of course, South Carolina got Eric Norwood in school after UGA didn’t even offer because of acedemics. And they got Derek Watson in school, after virtually every other school in the SEC backed offer after it looked impossible he would qualify. They can really work wonders in Columbia.
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After listening to Saban, he may be interested in a major in Speech Communication.
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The first offer being from Tech must be a total lie. Tech, with their lofty academics, would never offer someone who struggles academically and has a learning disability. Just ask any Tech blogger why they don’t get the top recruits and they would tell you.
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Just talking to cPJ would raise his IQ enough to make him at least a B+ student; if cPJ shook his hand it would cure him of any disabilities, just ask a tech blogger. So tech must not have made serious offer, maybe it was to throw everyone off on that 2* guy they really wanted.
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A fun interview for whoever covers the JC beat in Mississippi.
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It appears from the article that the fine art of throwing coeds at big time recruits has not fallen by the wayside in the aftermath the UT scandal
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Huge Expectations = check!
Real Dumb = check!
Giant Ego = check!
Going to USCe = check!
He’s got it all; might just make Stephen Garcia look stable by comparison, I can’t wait for the saga to begin! I’m torn between hoping he qualifies and not having to worry about him 2nd game in this year. I’d say there’s about a 5% chance he lives up to any of the hype by the time we catch him so, I guess I want him to qualify so the shenanigans can begin!
Jadeveon, if you’re reading this, buddy (and by reading I mean skipping the real big words while looking for medium-sized ones to sound out with those Hooked on Phoenics skills), just clowning on ya, bra. You know the world is yours, now hit that dank and start dreamin’ about all the college honies you’ll be making in a few short months
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I don’t want to sound like I am 80 (because I never thought I would say stuff like this), but kids nowadays. To me, when a college recruits you, they put in an extraordinary amount of time and resources. I think the least you could do would show a little respect. That goes for the whole throwing-down-the-hats-of-the-schools-you-don’t-choose during your signing day presser. It is getting a little out of hand.
Although, I have to admit, Crowell pulling out a live bulldog in his presser was original.
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As one might be able to tell from the handle above, I am a UGA alum and fan. I am not a Bama fan. Nevertheless I am disturbed by the lack of respect shown to one of college football’s greatest coaches by someone who can only accurately be described as an 80 IQ moron. Have we come to this in college football? Groveling to get some kid to sign with your team that won the SEC Championship and BCS National Championship a scant 2 years ago and being insulted for the effort strikes me as a little bit much to have to put up with. In the real world Clowney (a good name for this clown) would be lucky to get a job at the local carwash. If he couldn’t play ball nobody would ever even bother to say anything to him at all. I hope he blows out his knee in practice. Let’s see how long SOS carries him on the team.Then he will learn the way the world really is.
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Wow the vitriol has gotten out of hand. He’s just a kid. You are judging without knowing him because he didn’t pick your school. Who needs to grow up now? I think it’s fine to talk about the recruiting process. Actually I think it’s more than fine. It’s what is needed. Coaches don’t need to be shown respect just because they recruit a kid. They earn respect by their actions. (By that I mean respect beyond common courtesy.) I guarantee you their actions would sharpen up if they knew everyone would hear about it. I don’t understand the culture of secrecy that goes on except to say if it has to be secret, it’s probably not good. Hope he has a great career for every game but one. Everyone else who is judging this kid needs to live out their football fantasies through Playstation. (Now once they actually do something wrong like Cam and Janoris…judge the heck out of them.)
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We weren’t recruiting him. We are judging him because of how he treated a coach and school most of us oppose.
And I’m sorry but the “he’s just a kid” excuse needs to go. He’s 17 or 18 years old. He’s old enough to know better. This isn’t a 6 year old.
He’s old enough to drive a car and thus potentially kill someone.
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+1 MB. He also demonstrates exactly the type of mentality (entitled, arrogant, stupid) that destroys team chemistry. I remember when I was 18 really well and we did not act like that. The he’s “just a kid” excuse is pretty lame. Bark…go bay at the moon.
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I’m not arguing “he’s just a kid so he should know not to steal, or kill”. But if you adults don’t know not to insult a kid for just telling the truth, then how is a kid going to understand the subtle parsing of everything he says by media and adults who shouldn’t care what an 18 year old thinks. He didn’t insult anyone. He told his feelings which he has every right to. He just doesn’t understand some 40 yr old wannabe will jump on him no matter what he says.
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Just how many names do you have exactly? I gotta compliment you on the best one, Bark Madley, though. I wish I had thought of that myself. On to business–18 year olds need to be taught to not open their mouths and say the first thing that pops into their (in this case, moronic) brains. And he DID insult Saban. He made fun of Saban’s height and the fact that Saban talks a lot (which seems to work pretty well for Saban most of the time). Following your logic that we all have a right to tell our feelings, I simply told mine about Clowney. And I am not a “40 yr old wannabe.” I am a has-been (big difference) and way older than that.
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Give it up, man. So hot and bothered over this?
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That name was just meant for one post. Forgot to change back.
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Agreed 100%
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That entire story is a sad commentary on what recruiting has become in CFB. We all know it has it’s sleazy and unbecoming side but it makes me want to take a shower. To see well-heeled, grown men groveling at the feet of an 18 year old kid who cannot come close to making the entrance requirements to any of their schools is pathetic. Then convincing coeds, who did make the entrance requirements, to throw themselves at a HS senior (who may not even graduate) when they wouldn’t otherwise consider a conversation with a HS male is barely short of hoing and pimping. I don’t care how many schools do it this way, and every single one in this story did, it should be changed. Bad behavior is learned early, and these recruits are all but told during the recruiting trips that the rules don’t apply to them…..they are “special”.
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I understand your point, but I doubt these girls need to be convinced to chat up big name recruits. Groupies don’t need convincing.
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You may be right but “groupies” may not indicate any of us are putting our best foot forward. Did you see the “trailer trash” involved with the Hostessgate scandle at UT? I know I am an old fart but some things never go out of style. How do I rationalize this display of morality/behavior/class with Adams’ family zone, no smoking, banning of the word “cocktail” in Jax, limitations on tailgating zone, etc., decrees? All of those are more acceptable to me than throwing sluts and alcohol at teenage boys.
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I agree regarding your larger point about what recruiting has become (or has it been this way for some time and we just didn’t recognize or acknowledge it?).
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Funny stuff? Sure. But the bit about Saban is also incredibly disrespectful. Mr. Clowney may not realize it, but people base their opinions about you not just on your actions, but also on your words. Based on what I’ve learned about him in the past 24 hours, my opinion of him is that he’s a fool. He’s too foolish to realize how important it is to give effort on his schoolwork, thinking that people will continue to just pass him up the academic chain as they always have. And he’s too much of a fool to realize that the fame he has enjoyed the last year or more is fleeting. When the head coach of one of the nation’s most powerful football programs comes to call, taking time out from assembling another potential powerhouse team to come into your own house, it’s best to listen. You don’t have to take the opportunity he is selling, especially if you have many other options, but you also don’t need to disrespect him in the media, either. Being that the rest of the Eastern Division isn’t likely to reach historic lows again this year, it’s most likely that South Carolina won’t be returning to the SEC Championship Game. That’s good. Because Alabama’s players aren’t likely to forget what you’ve said. I hate to see people waste talent, so I hope that Clowney wises up soon. I hope he’ll humble himself and get to work in school with the time he has left, so he doesn’t have to languish in a junior college for two years. I hope he’ll choose not to coast if he gets to college, and work to get as much out of it as he can, because a professional career is not promised even if he does manage to make it through three years of football without suffering injury. And, hopefully he’ll do something to change opinion of those who don’t wear South Carolina hats, because right now he looks very lazy and very foolish.
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Saban has lied to the media, the NFL, himself, and recruits. He doesn’t deserve respect. Sure it might help your career if you are nice to every slimebag, but all it does is give them more power. Maybe if more kids were honest, the next recruit won’t feel like they have to bow down to this “person.”
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I think you are missing the point M. Sure, Saban is a douchebag. We all know that. But a recruit shouldn’t make fun of opposing coaches. WE’RE the only people allowed to make fun of opposing coaches.
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I do not think most alums, except former athletes, know what goes into the recruiting process by a program in D1 sports. Someone at lunch yesterday mentioned that Carolina had signed 31 or 32 players. They mentioned Carolina had signed a top recruit. My thoughts at first is why this late. If this late it is not good. There are reasons. Kids want to be part of the “show”, that is where HS kids are today because that is the environment they have been in for the past 3 years. Then when they are in, they have issues adjusting to the schedule, requirements, and time. Coaches are looking for players. They know the rules. But kids, they just do not understand because they are not equiped coming out of some HS. I’d say GT probably did not recruit him. Some interest. Same at UGA. They know their roster and needs. But these young guys, they let their hormones kick in too much rather than their brain housing group.
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I’m thinking that this guy is a trouble maker. Be careful what you wish for Spurrier ’cause you just might get it.
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What recruiting has become is what it’s always been. If you’re longing for the good old days, then take a look around because very little has changed.
SMU, people.
Erik Dickerson driving the car he got from one school to the campus of another to see if they could top it? That was 30 years ago.
Ringers going to the highest bidder and never taking a class. That was 100 years ago. Mercenary coaches chasing the higher paycheck and better chances to win describes a lot of the early, legendary coaches of the game. That’s this game.
It’s nothing new.
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As a Dawg fan, I’m infinitely happier we landed a Ray Drew and not a Clowney. This “inside look” leads me to believe we got a far better deal than scu could ever dream of.
But gees, if SOS has an off-season-long media squabble with Garcia, one can only imagine the fits he’s going to have with Clowney. I can hear Clowney now – ‘spurrier promised I would qualify’.
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I hope Steve doesn’t have to play Alabama this year cause it won’t be pretty. Little Nicky will spank SOS’s fanny to get Steve to teach his kids a little respect. I would much rather have the Reverend Drew than this Clown.
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Old tale from long ago(50s-60s): Alabama had landed a huge lineman from Penn coal country. He lived with his mother and they didn’t have much. Bryant asked his coaches to drop by often and see him over the summer and to help with small expenditures that they could to keep them from worrying about his loss to the family upkeep. On arriving , a Bama coach noticed a car that was unaffordable to the lad and his Mom dominated the driveway. He entered and inquired about the lad not being home. His Mom said that he was on a camping trip. Knowing that Bama wasn’t taking anyone on any camping trips he inquired as to who was accompanying him. She replied that” the wonderful priests” had stopped by with a mobile home and took him to see Yellowstone and had been gone a week.
He thought that all of this was unusual until the kid changed his mind and went to Notre Dame.
The point is that recruiting has been messed with since time time has been kept. There are no new morality insults; only new gimmicks to get that guy you and everyone else wants. If UGA was on Clowney’s list and he had chosen us, how many of you would reevaluate what you have written here before typing? More than one I dare say. Taking shots at this guy for being forthright and not bowing to the same football-god icon that some of you express is refreshing no matter the ill-mannered twists that some of you judge by. Like some of our players, his welfare is now with the team that got him. He is only our business on the playing field. Conjecturing his downfall only reflects on our pitiful jealousy.
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I don’t wish the kid any harm. This is not because I am a Bama fan either, I just wished kids would respect the schools that have put in the resources and time toward the kid. There was a recruit last year that threw down the hats of the teams he didn’t pick (He eventually chose Ole Miss). I though it was extremely classless. i would say the same thing if the kid chose Bama and then disrespected Georgia, Florida, or Auburn etc (well, maybe ok if he disrespected Auburn).
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Dude, its a hat.
And the schools aren’t investing “resources and time” into Monrico, Jarquavious or Nook-Nook out of interest in academics, helping the community, etc.
They want to win a game and some kid in a single wide in Pell City can help them do it.
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“He can talk. A lot. He talked for a whole straight hour.”
That’s because Nick’s home visit routine is the same as his Gameday routine: two Little Debbie’s and a cup of coffee.
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“Coach can’t tell Boobie Miles nothin’. Boobie Miles’ talent is god-given. You wanna win, put Boobie in. Coach Saban ain’t got nothin on Boobie Miles.”
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Tsk, tsk, tsk.
This combination of self-righteousness and insecurity is quite funny.
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haha nick saban is a napoleon, little man syndrome, punk. funny that he called him out on it. im tired of hearing about people saying he disrespected nick saban. i thought this was a georgia blog. all you alabama fans need to piss off. nick saban is a jerk, dont defend him. i think that is funny. im sure little nicky is red hot after reading that haha. hope he doesn’t sleep tonight because his blood pressure is so high haha
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