Former Webster Groves football standout Adrian Clayborn turned many heads last winter when he decided to put off the National Football League for one more year to return for his senior season at the University of Iowa.
The 6’4″ 285-pound Clayborn was rated as one of the country’s top defensive ends and he was a sure-fire first-round draft choice had he decided to come out early. Instead, he decided to forego the riches and return for his senior year in the middle of December. He then celebrated his announcement by going out and dominating the Orange Bowl as he earned Most Valuable Player honors in Iowa’s victory over Georgia Tech.
Clayborn’s return to Iowa has further enhanced the high expectatios for the Hawkeyes entering the 2010 season. Iowa has been ranked in the top 10 of nearly every preseason college football poll, including a No. 9 ranking in the recent Associated Press Preseason Poll.
Clayborn’s individual rankings are just as lofty as well. He is ranked as the top defensive end in college football. National Football League draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has Clayborn ranked as the No. 5 player on his most recent NFL 2011 Draft Board.
I’ve been watching big Adrian since his days at Webster Groves, and he has been one of the most enjoyable players for me to watch. He played middle linebacker for the Statesmen on their 2003 Class 5 state-championship team and was just as dominant on defense as star quarterback Darrell Jackson was on offense. His size, speed, athleticism, combined with a Ray Lewis-like mean disposition on the field, made him an unstoppable force.
Once he got to college, Clayborn picked up about 40 extra pounds as he made the move to defensive end. His physical stature may have changed a little bit, but his speed, athleticism and relentless style of play remained the same. Clayborn still cannot be contained on the field, as witnessed by his 79 tackles, 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for losses last season.
Clayborn’s speed and agility were in full display on the game-changing play of the season at Penn State when he blocked a punt and returned it
54 yards for a touchdown to give the Hawkeyes a victory and the spark it needed to advance to a BCS Bowl. The play has gone down in Iowa folklore as one of the most exciting in the program’s history.
I’m sure Adrian Clayborn is looking forward to making a little more history in a Hawkeyes’ uniform before he takes his place among the top picks in the NFL Draft next year.
New QBs
The 2010 high school football season begins this weekend on both sides of the river. Three of the area’s top teams to watch once again are East St. Louis, Hazelwood Central and DeSmet. All three teams are loaded once again and have state-championship aspirations.
They also have one more thing in common. They each have to replace a standout quarterback.
Kerry Gibson led Hazelwood Central to two consecutive Class 6 championships, Detchauz Wray graduated as one of East Side’s top career passers while DeSmet’s Steve Kaiser was a three-year starter who is now at SMU.
Central is looking at Sean Wills to replace Gibson while Leon Moody will move over to replace Kaiser at DeSmet. The quarterback position is rarely a problem at East Side as head coach Darren Sunkett is a master at developing top quarterbacks.
Pierson crosses river
Standout running back Anthony Pierson will play his senior year at East St. Louis after three outstanding years at Gateway Tech. Pierson enters his senior year with 4,523 yards rushing and 51 touchdowns in his career. Pierson actually started playing football in the metro east in the Centerville Little League program. Former East Side running back Vinson Arterbridge has transferred to Belleville Althoff for his senior year. Arterbridge is a bruising 230-pound running back who has missed the past two seasons due to injuries. When at full form, he should be one of the area’s top backs.
Games to watch
East St. Louis will begin its season on the road again against a national opponent. On Saturday, the Flyers travel to Indianapolis to take on perennial power Cathedral High on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. The top game locally will be the showdown between Class 6 powers Hazelwood Central vs. DeSmet on Saturday at Central. Another interesting Saturday afternoon title will be the 1 p.m. game between small-school powers Maplewood at MICDS in a first-time meeting.
Earl at MBE
I will be at the Missouri Black Expo on Sunday selling my two books, You Might Need a Jacket: Hilarious Stories of Wacky Sports Parents,
and The PHL in the STL: The Public High League, A St. Louis Basketball Legacy. I will be at the booth with all of the other authors of Prioritybooks Publications. Stop by and say hello and grab yourself a book.
Also, my next book, You Might Need a Jacket II: More Hilarious Stories of Wacky Sports Parents will be released in the next month or so. It’s the sequel to my first book in the “Strait-Jacket Parent” series.
(You can follow Earl Austin Jr. on his basketball website, www.earlaustinjr.com. You can also follow Earl on Facebook and Twitter.)
