Wisconsin Badgers J.J. Watt and John Clay Will Enter 2011 NFL Draft
Defensive end J.J. Watt led the Badgers in sacks (7), tackles for loss (21, third best in the nation), quarterback hurries (10), blocked kicks (3), and forced fumbles (3). He was tied for second on the team in tackles with 62. He earned first team All Big Ten honors, and second team All America honors. He also won the Lott IMPACT Defensive Player of the Year award.
Watt, 21, a Pewaukee, Wisconsin native, began his college career at Central Michigan as a tight end. He transferred to Wisconsin after his freshman year. In an open letter to Badger fans, Watt described the decision to enter the draft early as "one of the most difficult" of his life and thanked the fans, coaches, and his team mates for their support during his time in Madison.
Running back John Clay rushed for 1012 yards in 11 games in the 2010 season, and scored 14 touchdowns. Clay was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2009, rushing for 1517 yards. He missed two games in the latter part of the 2010 season with a knee injury. The Badgers are deep at running back, with freshman James White rushing for 1052 yards and 14 touchdowns, and sophomore Montee Ball adding 996 yards and a team leading 18 rushing touchdowns. Though Clay rushed 11 times for 76 yards and a touchdown in the Rose Bowl, Ball was the starter and had 126 yards on 22 carries, plus a touchdown. Considering the log jam at running back, Clay's value in the NFL draft may be higher now than if he waited a year.
John Clay, 23, was a highly recruited multisport athlete at Racine (Wisconsin) Park High School who rushed for over 2000 yards and 30 touchdowns in his junior year and led Park to the state championship that year. He earned state Player of the Year honors twice. In a statement, Clay thanked the fans and coaches for their support during his career at Wisconsin.
Sources:
Badgers' Clay will enter NFL Draft Madison.com
University of Wisconsin Athletics Website
UW football: Watt to enter NFL draft Madison.com
Published by Mark Hudziak - Featured Contributor in Sports
Mark is a Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. He also blogs about the Civil War at Iron Brigader.com. He is an analytical chemist for a public health laboratory in his other... View profile
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2 Comments
Post a Comment2 very good players. it will be interesting to see where they go in the draft. great job
Nice report. If you hear about any worthwhile defensive secondary players thinking of going pro, tell them the Dallas Cowboys are in big need of replacements.