NFL Draft 2014: Steve Spurrier says Jadeveon Clowney’s work habits are ‘pretty good’
By Josh Sanchez
South Carolina star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is finishing up his preparation for the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine where he will hope to blow away NFL teams before sitting down and speaking with them for private interviews.
During those interviews, it is likely that Clowney will be asked about his work ethic that many have been questioning in the past.
Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier appeared on NFL AM Wednesday to discuss Clowney,where he praised the defensive end for his talent but admitted he wasn’t the hardest working athlete on his team.
“He was OK. It wasn’t like Marcus Lattimore, you know, every player is a little different,” Spurrier said. “His work habits are pretty good, they’re not quite like Lattimore, maybe Stephon Gilmore, Melvin Ingram, some of those guys, but when the ball is snapped he’s got something no one else has.”
The old ball coach also acknowledged that Clowney may have to work on how he attacks the passer at the next level.
“Even though his production this year wasn’t near what it was last year, he had two or three guys waiting on him just about every play,” Spurrier said.
“His run defense was very good, though, and he chased down a bunch of guys and made tackles. His sacks — he had to run around two or three guys just about every game. I don’t think teams will quite do that in the NFL, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Despite those question marks that will continue to surround Clowney, he will likely solidify himself as a top five pick in May’s draft when he lights up the workouts in Indianapolis over the weekend.