Tribal Warfare
04-08-2010, 06:25 AM
Rams have had their eyes on Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/rams/story/031C59576EEFD5EC862576FF000E7975?OpenDocument)
BY JIM THOMAS
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, Apr. 08 2010
As the groundswell of support (and hype) for Oklahoma's Sam Bradford has
mounted over the past month and a half, Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen has been
more than an interested bystander.
If Bradford is No. 1 at the quarterback position in this year's NFL draft,
Clausen is supposed to be 1A. But while Bradford has risen to the top of just
about every draft board, what about Clausen?
Sure, he has some supporters among the legions of analysts, draftniks, gurus
and mock drafters out there. But Clausen hasn't attracted all that much
attention in the annual pre-draft buildup.
"I try not to pay attention to what's being said on TV and in the media,"
Clausen said earlier this week. "But all I can control is what I can control —
and that's to go out each and every day, keep working out, keep working hard,
and trying to make myself better every way I can."
The big day for Clausen comes Friday in South Bend, Ind., when he holds his pro
day at Notre Dame. It's one of the last pro days on the calendar this year,
allowing Clausen as much time as possible to let his surgically repaired right
big toe heal.
Clausen said the toe is healing as scheduled, even a little faster than
expected. But it won't be at 100 percent Friday and may affect his script of
throws.
"I just can't do a lot of movement stuff quite yet," Clausen said. "I don't
want to push it too fast and have a setback."
So he might limit some of his throwing on the run — the rollouts, bootlegs,
"nakeds," etc. Other than that, he is confident about his ability to impress
any scouts, coaches and NFL executives on hand.
"Hopefully, we can go out there on Friday, put on a little show, and just have
a lot of fun with it," Clausen said.
Similarly, he's confident that he's more ready to play in the NFL than any of
the other top quarterbacks in this year's draft, including Bradford, Colt McCoy
of Texas and Tim Tebow of Florida.
"I've played in a pro-style offense for the past three years, played under
center under Coach (Charlie) Weis, and I feel that I'm the most ready guy out
there," he said. "... I think I translate the best to the NFL because I've
already had to deal with what those guys are going to have to go through, which
is learning a pro-style system and having growing pains growing up in a system."
As to how he executed that pro-style offense at Notre Dame, Clausen said
simply, "I think my tape speaks for itself."
Clausen certainly put up big-time numbers last season, completing 68 percent of
his passes for 3,722 yards, 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions. During
one stretch last season, he threw 160 consecutive passes without an
interception.
He did this without a strong offensive line or much help from the running game.
And he played hurt most of the season, suffering the toe injury in Notre Dame's
third game, against Michigan State.
"I tore two ligaments in that game and I played the rest of the season taking
pain-killers for every single game," Clausen said at the NFL scouting combine.
"At the end of the season I got another MRI. From playing on the two torn
tendons, my sesamoid bones in my toe retracted about one centimeter."
After the season, two pins were inserted to reattach the tendons and realign
the sesamoid bones.
Behind the injury issue, Clausen critics have taken shots at his personality
and his ability to lead an NFL team. Clausen got plenty of questions on the
topic at the combine from the media and from teams.
"Some people say I'm cocky, I'm arrogant, I'm not a good leader, I'm not a good
teammate," Clausen said. "I think the people that are out there saying those
things really don't know me as a person.
"I'm a humble kid who loves having fun with my teammates, have guys over to my
house whether they're offensive guys, defensive guys, going in during days off
to watch a lot of film with the receivers."
Last offseason, Clausen invited several Notre Dame receivers to stay at his
family's home in California to work out and build camaraderie. And he was
unanimously voted a team captain by his teammates entering the 2009 season.
Clausen matured at Notre Dame and has handled the personality and leadership
issues well during the pre-draft process.
"I think that's well behind him," said one veteran NFL coach, speaking on the
condition of anonymity. "I think the kid is really grounded; I think he's by
far the most ready mentally, particularly straight football-wise."
Over the long haul, few scouts doubt that Bradford has more tools. But Clausen
probably gives you a better chance to win right away. At the combine, general
manager Billy Devaney listed Clausen among four players the Rams were
considering at No. 1 overall. But as each week goes by, it looks more and more
as if Bradford is their man.
"I'd love to play for the Rams," Clausen said. "I just want to go to a place
that wants me, and wants me to come in there and help their franchise win
football games. That's all I'm about is winning football games."
BY JIM THOMAS
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, Apr. 08 2010
As the groundswell of support (and hype) for Oklahoma's Sam Bradford has
mounted over the past month and a half, Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen has been
more than an interested bystander.
If Bradford is No. 1 at the quarterback position in this year's NFL draft,
Clausen is supposed to be 1A. But while Bradford has risen to the top of just
about every draft board, what about Clausen?
Sure, he has some supporters among the legions of analysts, draftniks, gurus
and mock drafters out there. But Clausen hasn't attracted all that much
attention in the annual pre-draft buildup.
"I try not to pay attention to what's being said on TV and in the media,"
Clausen said earlier this week. "But all I can control is what I can control —
and that's to go out each and every day, keep working out, keep working hard,
and trying to make myself better every way I can."
The big day for Clausen comes Friday in South Bend, Ind., when he holds his pro
day at Notre Dame. It's one of the last pro days on the calendar this year,
allowing Clausen as much time as possible to let his surgically repaired right
big toe heal.
Clausen said the toe is healing as scheduled, even a little faster than
expected. But it won't be at 100 percent Friday and may affect his script of
throws.
"I just can't do a lot of movement stuff quite yet," Clausen said. "I don't
want to push it too fast and have a setback."
So he might limit some of his throwing on the run — the rollouts, bootlegs,
"nakeds," etc. Other than that, he is confident about his ability to impress
any scouts, coaches and NFL executives on hand.
"Hopefully, we can go out there on Friday, put on a little show, and just have
a lot of fun with it," Clausen said.
Similarly, he's confident that he's more ready to play in the NFL than any of
the other top quarterbacks in this year's draft, including Bradford, Colt McCoy
of Texas and Tim Tebow of Florida.
"I've played in a pro-style offense for the past three years, played under
center under Coach (Charlie) Weis, and I feel that I'm the most ready guy out
there," he said. "... I think I translate the best to the NFL because I've
already had to deal with what those guys are going to have to go through, which
is learning a pro-style system and having growing pains growing up in a system."
As to how he executed that pro-style offense at Notre Dame, Clausen said
simply, "I think my tape speaks for itself."
Clausen certainly put up big-time numbers last season, completing 68 percent of
his passes for 3,722 yards, 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions. During
one stretch last season, he threw 160 consecutive passes without an
interception.
He did this without a strong offensive line or much help from the running game.
And he played hurt most of the season, suffering the toe injury in Notre Dame's
third game, against Michigan State.
"I tore two ligaments in that game and I played the rest of the season taking
pain-killers for every single game," Clausen said at the NFL scouting combine.
"At the end of the season I got another MRI. From playing on the two torn
tendons, my sesamoid bones in my toe retracted about one centimeter."
After the season, two pins were inserted to reattach the tendons and realign
the sesamoid bones.
Behind the injury issue, Clausen critics have taken shots at his personality
and his ability to lead an NFL team. Clausen got plenty of questions on the
topic at the combine from the media and from teams.
"Some people say I'm cocky, I'm arrogant, I'm not a good leader, I'm not a good
teammate," Clausen said. "I think the people that are out there saying those
things really don't know me as a person.
"I'm a humble kid who loves having fun with my teammates, have guys over to my
house whether they're offensive guys, defensive guys, going in during days off
to watch a lot of film with the receivers."
Last offseason, Clausen invited several Notre Dame receivers to stay at his
family's home in California to work out and build camaraderie. And he was
unanimously voted a team captain by his teammates entering the 2009 season.
Clausen matured at Notre Dame and has handled the personality and leadership
issues well during the pre-draft process.
"I think that's well behind him," said one veteran NFL coach, speaking on the
condition of anonymity. "I think the kid is really grounded; I think he's by
far the most ready mentally, particularly straight football-wise."
Over the long haul, few scouts doubt that Bradford has more tools. But Clausen
probably gives you a better chance to win right away. At the combine, general
manager Billy Devaney listed Clausen among four players the Rams were
considering at No. 1 overall. But as each week goes by, it looks more and more
as if Bradford is their man.
"I'd love to play for the Rams," Clausen said. "I just want to go to a place
that wants me, and wants me to come in there and help their franchise win
football games. That's all I'm about is winning football games."