Steve Spurrier says DE Jadeveon Clowney could have played in NFL straight out of high school

South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (7) reacts after they beat the Michigan Wolverines in the 2013 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. South Carolina won 33-28. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Steve Spurrier won the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback in 1966. He coached a national championship-winning team in 1996 and he has led South Carolina to back-to-back 11-win seasons in the first time in school history.

The Ol’ Ball Coach is not by any means an ignorant man, especially when it comes to the game of football.

A bit of that credibility was tarnished in the eyes of some fans when, earlier in the season, Spurrier made the now-infamous statement that Alabama was so good that the Tide could beat some of the worst NFL teams.

His latest statement, while equally as implausible, at least makes some semblance of sense. Young men having just graduated high school are not allowed to skip college and head straight to the NFL. The League currently has in place what is called the ‘three-year rule’, meaning that players must wait at least three years after high school before entering the NFL Draft. They do not have to play in college, but they must, generally, be at least 21.

While that rule is in place for obvious reasons — just take a look at the body types of even the most talented high school players compared to those in the NFL — Spurrier believes his most talented player never even needed to play for him in the first place.

“He could’ve come out of high school, probably, and gone straight to the NFL and played,” Spurrier said on the Dan Patrick Show, per Fansided. “He’s just one of those rare guys who has tremendous strength and quickness and explosiveness. And he likes playing. He’s a good guy, he’s really a good teammate also.

“He’s looking forward to next year. He knew it was a three-year deal. But he’s ready. Oh, yeah, he’s ready for the NFL.”

It’s not a totally crazy thing to say. Just look at the work Clowney did in 2012: He set the school’s single-season record with 13 sacks while also racking up a whopping 23.5 tackles for a loss as a mere sophomore. And that is against elite competition in several top-tier SEC opponents.

But diving into the NFL straight out of high school? Logistically and speaking on behalf of player safety, that’s a little crazy, Mr. Spurrier.

Latest from around Gamedayr >> Something’s gone comically with Clowney’s Wikipedia page.

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