Jadeveon Clowney scores on a long touchdown catch in South Carolina’s spring game
Steve Spurrier doesn't really take South Carolina's spring game all that seriously, which is how star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney got to slip in off the bench during a play and score a 54-yard touchdown in street clothes.
Spurrier annually pulls the "off the bench" trick, in which a player comes in from off the bench behind the secondary for a deep pass. This time it was the All-American defensive end who has been out most of spring with a minor neck injury.
So if there's a 180-pound SEC cornerback worried that Clowney might start lining up wide for some plays this season, don't worry. It was just to have some fun.
Clowney slipped to the turf after he caught the pass from freshman Connor Mitch, but the officials weren't calling it too close on the big guy without the helmet, pads or cleats, and let him get up and score the touchdown. Clowney then fired the ball into the stands.
"I was nervous at first because I don't catch passes, as everybody knows," Clowney said to GamecockCentral.com. "I caught the ball, turned around and forgot I didn't have my cleats on. It was pretty fun. Coach told me ahead of time that he wanted me to do it. I told him I'd do it, but I was going to throw the ball into the stands. He said go ahead and have fun with it."
Even though Clowney didn't get much on-field work during the spring he said it's no big deal, which should be pretty obvious considering he is the likely first pick of the 2014 NFL draft. He probably has a starting spot already secured for this season.
"I learned a lot more during the spring than everybody thinks I did," Clowney said, according to GamecockCentral.com. "I'll be ready when the season starts. My goals are set very high. I want to break the sack record here, not just for a season but the career sack record. I'm closing in on that and I want to make more tackles for loss."
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