1 in the 2014 draft - and the Houston Texans were thrilled to have him. Jadeveon Clowney reminds everyone why the Texans once made the first-overall pick Also a former No. Michigan's Vincent Smith reacts after he was tackled by South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney (not pictured) in the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl. Before the Texans took a single snap this season, the entire football world had Jadeveon Clowney earmarked as the top football player in the country. This time last year, South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney had just polished off a stellar regular season and was preparing for the Outback Bowl against Michigan. Keryn Senn/Aiken Standard Subscribe today for $4 for 4 months Clowney was the first overall pick of the draft in 2014 - some say because of that one hit in the Outback Bowl - but his career started slowly, mostly because of knee injuries. After being contained for most of the Outback Bowl, South Carolina defensive lineman Jadeveon . And Clowney thinks he elevated his already elite status during . After South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney laid the hit of the year on Vincent Smith in . Back in Jadeveon Clowney's college days at the University of South Carolina, the star defender landed a now-infamous hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smi. There was no way of knowing it when you woke up that morning, but Jadeveon Clowney would dole out a hit in that day's Outback Bowl that would reverberate . 1 recruit in the class of 2011 would make it. Jan. 1, the year of our Lord 2013. His combination of size, strength, speed, and talent made him a no-brainer to go No. Mike Pereira, the former NFL vice president of officiating, also agreed there was a "great chance" Clowney's hit would have resulted in an ejection in 2013 under the new targeting rules. When Jadeveon Clowney came out of college, the hype was incredible. We look back at . Had he made a few more plays that like that legendary hit in the 2013 Outback Bowl, he might have a case. Clowney will join a defensive line anchored by defensive end 2017 No. That means that the 2013 Outback Bowl on New Year's Day would have been the last time SC fans would have . 1 draft pick and says he took a big step toward that goal during South Carolina's pro day workouts Wednesday. Jadeveon Clowney made one of the most memorable plays in South Carolina football history with "The Hit" in the 2013 Outback Bowl. Jadeveon Clowney was already a star, but his bone-rattling, helmet-flying, fumble-causing hit on Michigan's Vincent Smith in the 2013 Outback Bowl made him an overnight sensation. Watch it . TAMPA, Fla. -- The clock read 8:22.Michigan led 22-21.Jadeveon Clowney, frustrated for most of Tuesday afternoon, saw the minutes winding down in the fourth quarter of the Outback Bowl. 2019: Texans tag-and-trade Jadeveon Clowney The end of the 2019 preseason illustrated fully the late-summer trade window teams are now using. South Carolina Football vs. Michigan in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2013. If a Gamecock was to make a big play, the No. Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Jadeveon Clowney Hit vs. Michigan. . Not long after Clowney's hit in the Outback Bowl, his final year in school became a bit of a circus. This hit on a defenseless Michigan Wolverines' running back in the 2013 Outback Bowl still makes me cringe. 1 . The South Carolina defensive end's hit spurred on his team to an incredible win. Michigan dominated the third quarter, and the drive those Big East officials extended threatened of putting . 1 overall pick Myles Garrett, who has recorded at least 10.0 sacks in each of the last three seasons. Jadeveon Clowney came up with a huge moment during the Outback Bowl game between South Carolina and Michigan on New Year's Day. Five years later, punishing Outback Bowl takedown has a reverberative effect. Clowney had the speed of thought . Clowney's hit of Smith and the fumble it forced changed the tide of the Outback Bowl. Not only did Clowney's hit on Smith take his helmet off, it also ripped the ball out of his hands. "I've been down the injury . but USC backup quarterback Dylan Thompson hit Bruce Ellington for a 32-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left to win the Outback Bowl. South Carolina Football vs. Michigan in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2013. . If you haven't seen this highlight from Jadeveon Clowney's playing days at the University of South Carolina, you should. He delivered another huge shot Sunday as a member of the . South . All it takes is one hit. Well, one massive, Twitter-erupting, earth-shattering, helmet-removing hit. That play was the talk of sports for a . He came on this season when the Texans needed him. Buckle your chin strap, my friendgoodness, gracious. Clowney dismissed the dirty hit claims, saying he delivered "just a small hit." "I don't intend to hurt anybody in this league, let me just put that out there," he said. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, the spotlight and thus the scrutiny . . But Lewan wants it known that he . The 6-foot-5, 266-pound defensive end did position drills in front of dozens of NFL personnel, including Houston head coach Bill O'Brien and Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley. Not only did the hit go on to be huge in that game leading to a score for his team but also for Clowney's NFL Draft stock. With one of college football's most memorable hits, Jadeveon Clowney (7) separated Vincent Smith from the ball and his . TAMPA, Fla. -- The clock read 8:22.Michigan led 22-21.Jadeveon Clowney, frustrated for most of Tuesday afternoon, saw the minutes winding down in the fourth quarter of the Outback Bowl. This is why he's worth the money as well as the wait. Two future first-round draft picks squared off when Michigan left tackle Taylor Lewan faced South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney at the 2013 Outback Bowl. Clowney was the first overall pick of the draft in 2014 - some say because of that one hit in the Outback Bowl - but his career started slowly, mostly because of knee injuries. Clowney's monster hit in the Outback Bowl on January 1 st, 2013 sparked the Gamecocks to a bowl win and ignited a nation of believers. In the huddle, sophomore defensive end Jadeveon Clowney internalized this sentiment. South Carolina's Outback Bowl date with Michigan will be the five-year anniversary of the greatest tackle of Jadeveon Clowney's career. As a sophomore in 2012, Clowney had 13 sacks, and his explosive hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith during the Outback Bowl was shown hundreds of times on highlight shows. Jadeveon Clowney with a monster hit on Vincent Smith to force and recover a fumb. While Jadeveon O'Brien was operating in high gear on Aug. 30, 2019 . Jadeveon Davarus Clowney (/ d d v i n / j-DEV-ee-on; born February 14, 1993) is an American football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). As the surely soon-to-be No. He played college football at South Carolina, where he twice earned first-team All-American honors, and was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft. J.J. Watt missed most of the season with a back injury, but Clowney became a very good defender with 52 tackles . Jadeveon Clowney with a monster hit on Vincent Smith to force and recover a fumb. It was in that game that . Jadeveon Clowney believes he's the NFL's No. When South Carolina and Michigan meet in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, it will be the five-year anniversary of one of the best games in USC history. Yet, over the past 12 months Clowney's flame has . Smith had knocked Clowney from the game with a low block that hit Clowney in the balls, but that seemed long forgotten in how clinical this got in an instant: Smith on the ground, the ball .