Jadeveon Clowney expected questions about his effort.
He didn’t necessarily expect the round-the-clock attention that was coming his way, however.
Clowney told Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer that all the attention was getting to be a little much.
“People tell me every day something new,” Clowney told the Observer on Monday. “They see me going No. 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1. I just have to wait ’til that day comes. Everyone, just stop telling me about it.
“Growing up I just wanted to play in the NFL. I didn’t know all this was going to come with it.”
At the moment, Clowney’s living in Charlotte while training, and trying to keep a low profile. Of course, that’s hard now that he’s become a celebrity, one who met Michael Jordan after sitting courtside at a Charlotte Bobcats game last night.
But Clowney’s performance last season at South Carolina was more Jordan-as-G.M. than Jordan-as-player, as he dropped from 13.0 sacks his sophomore year to 3.0.
“People want to know what’s going on,” he said. “I don’t question my motor. I feel like my motor is very good. Teams will find out very soon.”
Despite criticisms that feel invented for the sake of having a criticism, Clowney’s still going to be a top pick in May’s draft. And that’s when the process of proving himself to his doubters will really begin.