CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Andrew Berry’s pursuit of Jadeveon Clowney the least 14 months can be described with one word: relentless.
It also is how Berry describes Clowney as a player.
On Wednesday Berry finally got Clowney to come to Cleveland on a one-year contract that could be worth around $10 million with incentives.
“He was relentless getting after me and trying to get me up here, and I am going to be relentless on that field for him,” Clowney said after putting pen to paper. “He knows I can play. He told me he likes my style of play. I said I am going to bring that here.”
Shortly after his first visit March 24, Clowney knew he was going to be a Brown.
Last year, Clowney chose Tennessee over a more lucrative offer from Cleveland.
“Circumstances changed, and I have a new agent,” Clowney explained.
“He was more open about coming here and wanted me to take a visit. My last one did not tell me to take a visit, but this one made me visit and I came to visit. I got to sit down with the staff and got to know some of the guys, and it made it much more easier for me to come here and play.”
It also helped that the Browns put it all together in 2020 going 11-5 in the regular season and advancing to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs, which changed Clowney’s perception of the once downtrodden franchise that is now a contender for the Super Bowl.
“Yeah, they are winning. They have a great team,” Clowney said. “They are definitely a winning team. They won 12 games last year, right? More than what the team I played for won last year. I like this division for one. I think it is great competition. I get to play with great players beside me.”
Clowney will be paired opposite of All-Pro and Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett and with both players expected to command equal attention, the possibilities of the damage they could do seem to be endless.
Clowney also won’t be the focus or asked to carry and lead the defense.
“I do not care about that focus stuff,” Clowney said. “I would like them to focus on him. It might take some pressure off of myself. Yeah, let them focus on him.”
Clowney’s season with the Titans was cut short after eight games after he underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Unfortunately, injuries have short circuited his career that has seen him play a full 16 game season just once.
“The funny part, I tell people my career started off slow because I got hurt the first game of my career with a microfracture, probably the worst thing you could have in this game. I do not think everybody got to see the person they drafted yet,” Clowney said. “I think I am working back towards that, but I am well on my way now. I made three Pro Bowls, and it is funny because I have not ever really been all the way healthy to the point where I felt like nothing was bothering me. I still can dominate this league – I know that – but if I ever reach my max potential or get back there like I feel now, they say the sky is the limit, but it is probably higher than that. They have footprints on the moon, though. That is where we are trying to reach.
“I just want to stay healthy. If I play 16 games, I think we will be ready to see. Just let me work on that.”
With the Browns, Clowney gets a fresh start, a chance to win and to show he’s still among the league’s elite up front.
“Yeah, for sure, especially coming off of this injury,” Clowney said. “I did not get to finish this past season. I just want to show that I am still an elite player, more by proving to myself than anything and prove to other people that I am still out here and can dominate. We are going to see this season.”