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When asked by a reporter if he wanted to be the No. 1 overall draft pick for the Houston Texans, Jadeveon Clowney's response was simple.
"Yes," he said. "What do you think?"
Being drafted by Houston is about more than being the first off the draft board in May. For Clowney, it's an opportunity to be paired up with one of the best in the NFL, J.J. Watt.
"I believe me playing beside a guy like that, I'd be great, a great fit for them," Clowney said during his press conference Wednesday. "Just help him out as much as helps me out. I'd learn from him. Take his learning and evolve my game. There's no telling how far I can get in this game."
The South Carolina defensive end dazzled media and NFL personnel at his Pro Day on Wednesday. Texans head coach Bill O'Brien liked what he saw and had a chance to meet with Clowney the night before his Pro Timing Day.
"Great guy," Clowney said of O'Brien. "He wants you to work. He's all about working and being that guy. He wants you to be a great player for him coming out. He was talking about his locker room, how they've got a good group of guys up there. He said he doesn't want any bad vibe in the locker room and I'm like, 'I'm not that guy.' I like to smile and laugh and crack jokes a lot but when it's time to play, I'm on top of that too."
Tired of all the questions about his work ethic, Clowney showed up at Williams-Brice Stadium in game shape to perform any and all drills thrown his way. He finished his Pro Day workout at ease, showing versatility as a 4-3 defensive end and a 3-4 outside linebacker. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel even directed linebacker drills towards the end of Clowney's workout.
Was his performance enough to solidify him as the best player for the Texans, worthy of a first-overall draft pick?
"I really don't know," Clowney said. "I just want to show them what type of guy I am. That's all I was there to let them know what type of guy they'd be getting in the locker room, type of worker they are going to get on the field. Everything about me. I don't have any bad history or background on me. I wasn't really worried about that. Whatever they wanted to know, I'm here to give answers."
