National Football League

Jadeveon Clowney: Balancing expectations, rehabilitation

Published Jun. 26, 2015 9:22 a.m. ET

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By Brady Poppinga

A pretty safe case can be made that last year's hottest incoming NFL player is the one with the biggest question mark in 2015. Jadeveon Clowney, last year's top overall pick, is trying to fight his way back from an injury-plagued first year that ended with microfracture surgery on his right knee. It's very early in his promising career, but with great investment comes great expectation. Clowney is in the precarious position of trying to prove that he was worth his lofty draft status while recovering from a difficult medical procedure.

Microfracture surgery amounts to drilling tiny holes - "fractures" - in the lower leg bone plate, allowing blood and bone marrow to seep and form a blood clot, releasing cartilage-building stem cells from the marrow. Basically, you're attempting to rebuild cartilage from scar tissue. On big-bodied athletes like the 6'5, 270 pound Clowney, this can be a tricky rehab, as you have to patiently rebuild the new cartilage under the weight of a big frame. Caution in the recovery is of the utmost importance, especially in that the explosiveness in Clowney's legs is the football asset the team is likely most interested in preserving - the attribute that made him such a highly-touted pick in the first place.

We've all heard his impressive football profile countless times by now. Clowney is one of those rare players whose physical attributes far exceed other players at his position, as much so as any player since another Houston Texan almost a decade ago: Mario Williams. Clowney has an unbelievably quick first step, an extraordinarily explosive athlete who can blow by offensive tackles on one play, then run through a running back like he's tissue paper the next. His size-to-speed ratio is off the charts - a quality that's as important as any for Clowney to retain when he comes out the other end of this difficult rehabilitation process.

With any player acquisition where there is potential for greatness there is also a potential for failure. With Clowney, the most persistent draft question was his consistency ... his motor. That question arose because of spotty play during his last season in college. Critics pointed out that there were times throughout his last year in college where he looked disinterested.

That might lead one to believe that this particular kind of rehab might bring out some of those perceived negative qualities. At times during last season, while rehabbing another knee ailment, those perceptions seemed to come to fruition with the organization privately expressing concerns about Clowney's maturity.

Since the decision late last year to undergo the procedure, the tide has seemed to turn. Texans players and coaches are now talking about how well Clowney has handled the offseason, with the team's leader, JJ Watt, speaking openly about the positive changes in Clowney's approach and maturity. Head coach Bill O'Brien, as no-nonsense a coach as there is in the NFL, also praised Clowney's work during his recovery saying, "He's worked extremely hard. I think he's moving well, I think he feels better. We'll be looking forward to seeing where he's at once we get back here at the end of July."

Maybe all of this is just hopeful glow coming from Texans leadership, or maybe its the real deal. Whatever the case, Clowney is the one who has the final say on any narrative surrounding the kind of professional football player he is going to be. The difficult balance for him will be proving how much he's grown and how badly he wants to be out there with his teammates, all the while battling an injury that a player has to be extremely careful with and not rush.

It will be tempting, but he can't feel the pressure of early success by similar players to himself from his own draft class. For an elite player like Clowney with such high expectations, that's not always easy to do. Khalil Mack of the Oakland Raiders is living up to his own respective expectations after a fine rookie campaign, albeit one that didn't include a serious injury. Many NFL football experts believe that Mack is on his way to becoming an All-Pro outside rusher/linebacker type. That may very well be true, but Clowney's competition is with his own body, his own development. Realizing his potential with his own organization should be the focus, not competing with the another player on another team. Control what you can control.

Although it may sound premature and too early in the process to put pressure on Clowney to perform, the reality is when you're drafted as high as he was, the expectations are even higher. But if the pressure to perform prompts a player to rush a tenuous rehab to "prove something," the problems for his career can become just as serious as unmet expectations. The dream of Clowney and JJ Watt as an extremely disruptive defensive duo is still a very real possibility, but it will take smart and diligent efforts from team and player to make that happen.

Based on the investment, the Houston Texans would likely love to see that idea realized sooner rather than later. Not in a year. Not in two years. Based on O'Brien's optimistic outlook, the team seems anxious for a return on their sizable investment this fall. In the end, it's incumbent upon Clowney to reward the team's patience and support, heal smartly, and harness his talent to make sure that dream comes true for everyone.

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