CHAMPAIGN — Illinois football players sporting plump baby nicknames tend to remain relevant.
Juice Williams immediately comes to mind, with his family proclaiming the ex-Illini quarterback a juicy baby. Jarrod Clements’ loved ones felt the same way upon seeing him as a newborn.
But instead of Juice getting bestowed upon Clements, the Illinois junior has a nickname more to the point and one befitting a 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle: Chunky.
“I’ve been Chunky actually before I knew my name was Jarrod,” Clements said with a laugh. “My mom said I was a little chunky baby on her hip, and that she could never put me down.