The Houston Texans' number one pick from the 2014 draft Jadeveon Clowney was a monster in the college game at the University of South Carolina. With much hype, Clowney was selected by the Texans to add to the already fearsome defense led by JJ Watt. The new addition wasn't able to show much of his talent on the field, because of a list of injuries including the late-season shredded knee, which required mircofracture surgery in the offseason. During his continuing rehab while counting down the months till opening day, coaches are optimistic and are saying that Clowney has been impressive and are hoping for the beast to come back to form.
Texans head coach Bill O'Brien expressed his thoughts to HoustonTexans.com about the hard work Clowney has put in his rehab assignment:
"I've been impressed with the way JD's been working. He's been out there. He's in early. He's rehabbing. But he's also being able to take part in some of the things that we do in the weight room. He's not able to do all of the things that we do on the field just yet, because of his rehab. But he's on the right track."
Even with that optimism, history has shown other former great college players losing their traction in the pros because of bad knees that never were able to heal. Dr. Steven Singleton explained to Sporting News his understanding of the recovery process:
"The most common problems for athletes would be pain and swelling in the joint. If the repaired cartilage is knocked off and the bone is again exposed, the athlete could begin developing osteoarthritis. I've seen athletes do very, very well, and those who can't recover and get back to their sport."
The Texans barely missed the playoffs last year without their star linebacker. With a healthier Clowney, Houston should be able to build on that and make a strong playoff push this season.
Do you think Clowney can return from injury to perform at the level of play deserving of the number one pick? How do you think the Texans will do this year? Tell us what you think below.
