RENTON — At first, Jadeveon Clowney hated the idea of playing defensive end so much that he nearly quit football. He was 15 years old, a sophomore embarking on his first season of varsity at South Pointe High in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and he fancied himself a running back.
In his mind, there was no question — he was a running back.
He had ample evidence to support his stubbornness: A year earlier, as a 6-foot-2, 200-pound freshman playing on the South Pointe freshman team, Clowney had scored 35 touchdowns in nine games, and he was the fastest guy on the field just about every time he was out there.