NEW YORK -- Getting chosen No. 1 overall in the NFL draft might make Jadeveon Clowney even more of a household name than he already was, but the Houston Texans' new star rookie learned Thursday he's still not as well-known as he thinks.
A slip of the tongue by a reporter at Clowney's news conference at Radio City Music Hall resulted in the former South Carolina star being asked what he studied while at Clemson. It was a most awkward moment, particularly given that South Carolina and Clemson are staunch rivals.
His answer: "Excuse you?"
Still, it wasn't enough to bring Clowney off his cloud, and he let the questioner off the hook rather than chiding him further.
"You're alright," he said with a laugh.
And no doubt, the Texans are alright, as well, having added a pass rusher who NFL Network's Warren Sapp, a Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman himself, called a once-every-15-year talent. Asked if the winning seasons he enjoyed in three years at South Carolina would create a tough adjustment to an NFL club coming off a 2-14 campaign, Clowney didn't miss a beat with that question, either.
"When I got to South Carolina, they had a little problem, too," he said.
The Gamecocks lost five games in 2010, the year before Clowney's arrival, but never lost more than two in any of his three seasons.
And for the record, Clowney was 3-0 against Clemson.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread.*
