Steve Spurrier: Jadeveon Clowney’s work ethic was ‘OK’

If there has been one knock on Jadeveon Clowney and his NFL prospects, it is his work ethic. The South Carolina defensive end has openly admitted that he has not always given 100% in practice, and there were questions about his conditioning early on last season. Steve Spurrier has not done much to put Clowney’s critics at ease.

Spurrier, who was blatantly irritated back in October when Clowney sat out against Kentucky, told the NFL Network on Wednesday that Clowney’s work ethic is “OK.”

“He was OK,” Spurrier said, via Jeff Reynolds of CBSSports.com. “It wasn’t like Marcus Lattimore, you know, every player is a little different. His work habits are pretty good, they’re not quite like Lattimore, a Stephon Gilmore, Melvin Ingram, some of those guys, but when the ball is snapped he’s got something no one else has.”

That isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement from the Ole Ball Coach, and it will likely put Clowney under an even stronger microscope at the NFL Scouting Combine this week. Spurrier’s point seemed to be that Clowney has rare talent but does not always display a sense of urgency.

Clowney was once a consensus top-three pick in the NFL Draft, but that talk has since cooled. No one would be shocked if he went very early, but there’s no question the effort questions have had a negative impact on Clowney’s stock.