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Jadeveon Clowney will have his jersey retired in Gamecocks season opener
By Corey Long
Published:
Jadeveon Clowney is arguably the most important recruit and one of the best defensive players in the history of South Carolina. And this season his name will have a permanent spot in Gamecocks football history.
The program announced that Clowney, a first overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, will have his jersey retired in the Gamecocks season opener against Georgia State on September 3rd.
Clowney, from Rock Hill, South Carolina, was the number one player in the 2011 recruiting class. He chose South Carolina over Clemson and Alabama. Over three seasons, Clowney had 129 tackles, 47 tackles for loss, 24 sacks and nine forced fumbles. He was All-SEC in all three years, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2012 and a first-team All-American in 2012 and 2013.
The Gamecocks went 33-6 in the three years Clowney was there — the most successful three-year run in program history. This included three bowl wins, two in the Capital One Bowl and one in the Outback Bowl, a 33-28 victory over Michigan that featured Clowney’s memorable hit on Wolverines running back Vincent Smith.
Remember when Jadeveon Clowney annihilated Michigan RB Vincent Smith in the 2013 Outback Bowl? pic.twitter.com/54DwzknQfz
— The Next One Podcast (@TheNextOnePod) July 14, 2020
Clowney has played for the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns in his NFL career. He has 41 sacks and 12 forced fumbles in eight seasons.
Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.
