It has been a long road for Seattle Seahawks defensive end Chris Clemons but now that he’s in Seattle, let’s all hope it’s for an extended stay. The Seahawks are ascending towards football history and one of the rocks in the defensive foundation has returned from injury and it couldn’t have come at a better time. First and foremost, Chris Clemons has gone through a lot to be here and Seattle.
An undrafted rookie linebacker from Georgia stepped onto the Washington Redskins practice field unsure of his future, but certain of his work ethic. That first year of testing the professional waters in 2003, Chris Clemons faced adversity. He was cut during Redskins training camp and signed to the Cleveland Browns practice squad. His dream never wavered as again he signed with the Redskins for a second time in 2005 where he saw little action in just fourteen games.
Continuing to build his resume, Clemons left Washington for the Golden State in 2007 as he joined the Oakland Raiders and became a situational pass rusher. It would only take one year for Clemons to figure out that he was not going to fit in Oakland and as a free agent he signed a five year deal with Philadelphia. Up to this point in his four year career, Clemons had only been on one winning team.
As a journeyman, Chris Clemons saw Philadelphia as the future of his career. He played all sixteen games for two seasons and went to the playoffs both years, seeing time in playoff games and even scoring a clinching touchdown against division rival Cowboys. However, it always seemed like something was missing. The hard working linebacker would not be in Philadelphia long enough to establish his roots, as he was promptly traded in 2010 to Seattle for a fourth round pick and Daryl Tapp.
Oh Seattle.
A smaller town than Philadelphia, the farthest away from any other team in the country, Seattle was a humble awakening. Philadelphia was hitting its stride as the big dogs in the National Football Conference’s East Division while Seattle was slowly forcing down the restart button after two hard seasons of only winning a combined nine games. The new sheriffs in town, Pete Carroll and John Schneider, wanted to build a new culture of football in a city where the days of Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander reigned supreme.
Chris Clemons would become part of the project.
This chance would change Clemons and his place in football forever. Coach Pete Carroll brought Clemons in to play left outside linebacker. Then there was week 7 in 2010 against the Arizona Cardinals, where Red Bryant left the game with a stiff injury and Carroll made a move that would pay massive dividends. Chris Clemons would move to defensive end and begin to dominate the position in Seattle unlike any player in recent history. He would record eleven sacks the rest of the year, leading the team.
Out of sheer necessity, they needed him to play that position and it changed Clemons’ career for the better. He would become the most consistent player on the defensive line, anchoring Pete Carroll’s signature stout defense.
Clemons found his home.
He would become a sack master, leading the team in sacks in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons. Defensive end was being redefined in Seattle with the name Chris Clemons coming in tow. He even recorded four sacks in the first half against the Green Bay Packers in 2012 making a statement to the league.
Yes, he was always good but now, he is great. Chris Clemons is home.
Too much dismay, the 2012 season for Clemons ended in Washington, right where his career had started, as he tore his ACL and was placed on injured reserve during the Seahawks Wild Card playoff win.
Ironic huh?
But one thing Washington knows, as well as several other teams in the National Football League, is that Chris Clemons is a fighter. His offseason was not spent in front of a microphone talking up this fiery, intimidating defense or on ESPN being questioned about all the hype of the upcoming season. Instead, he was quietly rebuilding his knee and his overall strength in a nine month process so he could get back on the field with his teammates and in pursuit of the ultimate goal. It was obvious the same adversity that had tailed and nagged Clemons his whole career was all built up into this injury and it was not going to keep him out of probably the most exciting season in Seattle football history.
That is where this story picks up in the present day. Chris Clemons is back and that spells trouble for Seahawks opponents. It spelled trouble for the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday as he hit Chad Henne multiple times and got great grades from football analysts.
And that was just day one.
Combined with a rushing attack featuring Michael Bennett, Tony McDaniel, O’Brien Schofield, Cliff Avril and eventually Bruce Irving, it is just another impact player with veteran leadership that will come in handy as the games get bigger and the teams get tougher. Not to mention, the Legion of Boom needs him as well to hurry up the quarterback and if we have to say it out loud for it be recognized, yes we as the fans, need Clemons. A Super Bowl and all that comes with it is just that much more obtainable with a veteran, road savvy and determined inside man like Clemons in our mix.
So let me on behalf of many in Seattle and around the Pacific Northwest say something he probably hasn’t heard from other teams in his career … welcome back Chris!
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