The NFL Has A Been Hardknock Life For Jadeveon Clowney So Far

Jadeveon Clowney has had a tough start to his NFL career.  2 years ago people were asking should he be allowed to enter the draft as a sophomore.  He looked like a man amongst boys in the SEC and was ready to compete at the highest level.  He probably was.  But NFL fortunes can change like the wind.  Fast forward to today!  His toughness has been questioned. He’s got Hall of Famers calling him out.   His judgement has been shaky and the start to his career has be hexed by injury and illness as of this past Sunday.  The Houston Texans seem to be getting frustrated not with him but at the situation.  This is very understandable.  You have a player in Clowney who has the potential to be just as devastating as his teammate J.J. Watt, and that type of talent can be a game changer.  Especial for a team sitting at 4-4 and looking for a spark to finish the season.  I understand what Jadeveon is going through.  I know he wants to play and there is pressure to do well, but when you feel like you are not at your best while competing in league full of wolves that are trained to sniff out your weakness;  thats feeling can take your mind and body to some strange places.  Make strange things happen like getting mentioned for being on Instagram while your team is playing.  (that's strictly a rumor).    Think about it.  A small town kid from a college town gets dropped in on of the biggest cities in the world and the entire city wants you to get healthy right now and play well.  Thats a lot of pressure.  Enough pressure to make you sick.  Especially if you're not accustomed to surgery and playing hurt.  Would you want to jump into a pool full of sharks with your leg bleeding your first time in the pool.  I think not.  For a rookie the NFL can be a pressure cooker that starts at training camp of their last season in college until the end of their rookie year NFL.  It can wear on you mentally and physically.  Especially if you’ve been fighting through injuries the whole time.  Texans fans have to realize the adjustment period for all of these guys is going to be different.  I remember Mario WIlliams getting slammed on his neck his first camp practice.  Now he is one of the highest paid defensive player in the history of the NFL.  Hopefully having a bye week gives him a chance to reset his mind and catch his breathe.  He needs to get the confidence back in his body.  90 percent of being a professional athlete is believing you're better than the guy across from you.  That belief can waver when you don’t trust that your body can respond the way you want it to.  The bye week should give him a chance to regroup.  I expect to see the number 1 pick in the draft prove to the world what the hype was all about in the second half of his rookie season.