Clowney shakes off injury, back in action
METAIRIE, La. — Jadeveon Clowney wore a navy blue jersey and a big smile Thursday morning as he lined up against New Orleans Saints rookie offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk.
After dealing with leg soreness and being sidelined for nearly two weeks, the Texans’ defensive end/ outside linebacker thoroughly enjoyed his return to practice.
It marked the first time Clowney had practiced since before the Texans’ joint practices with the New England Patriots in West Virginia. Although the injury was never regarded as serious, Clowney’s health always draws scrutiny because of his injury history.
“Being out there with my teammates, it was great,” Clowney said. “Got a lot of work in. It was good to get the work before the season kicks off. I feel great.”
Clowney created a lot of pressure, disrupting Saints quarterback Drew Brees’ timing with his uncanny quickness at the line of scrimmage. Clowney had a strong day rushing against Ramczyk, a first-round draft pick from Wisconsin.
“I got some reps against him; he’s pretty good,” Clowney said. “We went at it, competed and just had a good practice.”
A former top overall pick from South Carolina, Clowney was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time last season after posting a career-high 52 tackles and six sacks. He remained healthy for the majority of the season for the first time since joining the Texans.
The Texans held Clowney out for precautionary reasons, ensuring that he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season.
“It’s good to have him back out there,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “He loves to play. We just gave him a couple days off back in Houston. He’ll be ready to go.”