SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Jimmy Clausen thinks about the NFL draft when he needs motivation.
It's not the draft this April the Notre Dame quarterback thinks about, though, or the 2011 draft following what would be his senior season. It's the 2004 draft.
That's when he sat with his oldest brother, Casey, in their Westlake Village, Calif., home and watched for hours as the names of 17 quarterbacks were called by NFL teams. Casey was never picked even though he ranks only behind Peyton Manning on Tennessee's passing list. The family was numb afterward.
"I looked at him and told him, 'Don't let this happen to you,' " Casey recalled.
It's a moment Jimmy Clausen recalls often.
"That's something I'll never forget until the day I die. When I work out in the offseason, each and every day I think about that," he said. "When we're running gassers, and I'm so tired I just want to lay down and grab some water, I think about that and run an extra one, run two extra. When I'm in the weight room, I think about that all the time.
"I don't want that to happen to me."
Until Notre Dame's 23-21 loss to Navy last Saturday, the hottest topic around South Bend wasn't whether coach Charlie Weis would be back next year but whether Clausen would. The 22-year-old junior who expects to complete his sociology degree in May is being projected by many as a first-round pick.
Clausen, though, said he hasn't thought much about whether he will leave Notre Dame early, saying he knows that sounds hard to believe.
"I'm just worried about the next day, the next game," he said.
Weis said he's not thinking about it, either. He plans to check with his NFL sources to determine where Clausen will likely be taken, then talk with Clausen and his family in December.
"It isn't like I have any idea of what's on his mind. He has no idea what's on my mind," Weis said. "We'll talk."
Clausen said watching his backup, Dayne Crist, sustain a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago on a play where he was barely touched or Oklahoma's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford sustain a season-ending shoulder injury after opting not to enter the draft won't influence his decision.
"You can't be worried about things down the road, things in the past," he said.
Some might view the statement by Casey as placing a heavy burden on his little brother. Clausen doesn't feel that way.
"To be honest, I have fun with it. People always say there's a lot of pressure on me, but I don't think I'd want it any other way. I don't know any other way," he said.
He said he's focused this week on No. 8 Pittsburgh (8-1), which provides Clausen a chance to post the biggest victory of his career today.
So far, Weis describes Clausen's defining moment as this season's 24-21 victory over Purdue.
Clausen had to leave that game because he was hobbled by turf toe, but returned with the game on the line. On Notre Dame's final drive, he completed six of nine passes for 69 yards, capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph with 24.8 seconds to play.
"Until that game, the only question marks you could have with this kid were: Could he run that 2-minute drive at the end of the game to win? And did he have that all-day toughness that most of the great ones have?" Weis said. "In that game against Purdue, those two things both matriculated. I think he showed toughness and showed that he could have that great drive to win a game at the end of the game."
Great drives to win the game against a Purdue team that now has a 4-6 record is not what legends are made of at Notre Dame. But a win this week against Pittsburgh might help, especially because the Irish have lost seven straight to Top 10 teams.
Weis believes Clausen always gives the Irish a chance.
"The best thing you know is when you have a quarterback like Jimmy Clausen, there isn't a game you go into that you aren't expecting to win. When you have a quarterback like this, you say: Well, how is the game going to go? I say, "Is Clausen going to be the quarterback? And he wants that burden."
Clausen knows about carrying burdens.
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Comments » 18
steamboatticket#484773 writes:
Casey Clausen is my second favorite Tennessee QB after Heath Schuler. Peyton is third. In fairness to Peyton, he played way better than his receivers. So did Casey Clausen. Peyton developed an accurate long ball on top of all the others.
kharney#232751 writes:
Both of Jimmy Clausen's brothers had cement feet. They could not get out of their own way, not withstanding an oncoming defensive line man! NFL personal directors could see their obvious shortcomings in mobility. That lack of ability was not created by UT or the coaching staff. That is a product of their own DNA .
chbradshaw writes:
see Brady Quinn i.e. NFL bust
truckinvol writes:
I wouldn't waste a first round pick on him. What I saw of the Purdue game, when Crist came in he ignited a team that was flat. To me he out-performed Claussen.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
He might be motivated by saving Weiss's arse.
volnbig11land writes:
Stupid story about (from the outside looking in) an ego maniac who thinks he is better than he is.
I'll take his oldest brother over him anyday. He gave his all and kept his mouth shut!
volnbig11land writes:
p.s. are you full of poop or do you really dislike white athletes (and maybe white people in general) as much as you appear in your posts?
Not accusing, just curious. Perception is the law....
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
One thing about Casey; No matter the score or situation there was always hope of a comeback or score..I was at the Citrus bowl following the LSU debacle;against Michigan; it was one of UT's finer moments in a bowl appearance
volnbig11land writes:
Right on both accounts!
Casey always kept us in the game and the michigan game was one to remember! 41 - 17? (somewhere around there)
ChattMac writes:
3-0 in the state of Florida. That's impressive!!
ChattMac writes:
And that's just the regular season..
allvol32 writes:
Crawl back in your hole troll...before people get the wrong impression from his handle this dude is no vol fan.
He's been on this site for a long time under several different handles and he always spouts the same garbage.
Every post by this moronic idiot does one thing and one thing only - takes shots at white UT athletes. He is a racist plain and simple.
KNS - you've banned this idiot several times that I know of, it's time to do it again.
Psychovol writes:
Fulmer's regime ruined Casey's chances.
volhome#407234 writes:
Just curious, did you even WATCH Casey play? He spent much of his career running for jis life. Had the O-line held up, he could have been considered a true great. Instead, we can remember his warrior-like mentality.
Oh, wait, why am I even bothering answering a TROLL!?
hueypilot writes:
Right. Casey wasn't mobile like the original cigar store indian, Tom Brady. Has a lot to do with your O line, doesn't it? I remember Casey being the best I ever saw at timing his run out of bounds to be just ahead of an onrushing linebacker, and going down like a dead man, drawing the personal foul and popping up. Not saying Casey was Mike Vick, but he could run a little bit. Certainly as well as either of the Manning boys.
jeffharmon#262530 writes:
I like Casey but let's not overlook the reasons why the NFL did not take him. He could not read a defense to save his life. He regularly locked on a single receiver and was not much of a team leader. He had a good but not great arm. His best attribute was his toughness; he never gave up. However, he was stubborn and I don't think he improved much over his soph year.
The Clausens all seem to have a very inflated opinion of their talents. Rick's attitude led to a lot of our troubles in 2005. Casey could have improved. Jimmy? Too much hollywood.
KCVolGirl writes:
I can't believe Casey thought he would be drafted. The only reason he is behind Peyton Manning in the record books in completions is because all he did was step back and throw slants. I could be behind Peyton Manning if that's all I had to do.
I remember Jimmy deciding to go to ND and the college football press said he was the "best of the Clausen brothers," and thought wow, is the writer being sarcastic or serious. Being the best of OK still isn't great.
Southland writes:
glad the little jerk is at Notre Dame and glad they dont know how to win good job little big head
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