Look who’s in studio with us in battle red. Back where he belongs. Jade Devian Clowney. JD, great to see you. How’s it going?
>> It’s going good, man. Excited to be back. Uh looking forward the opportunity. Can’t wait to get going. >> Okay, I said this.
I said seeing you again. Now, you and I, we’ve seen each other different stops, which has been great. This is like the best weird feeling that I’ve had in a while. How is it for you after eight years coming back in the building? >> Oh, same.
It’s very weird. Uh but it’s exciting. I told my fiance, I mean my wife, that I was like, uh, it’s going to be a big big difference for me after leaving for so long and coming back, but I’m looking forward to I think we got a great team here. I can help contribute and, you know, chasing that Super Bowl. >> You left, but in many ways you never did because you are still a Houstononian and have been even though you’ve played for several other teams.
What’s that been like still being in Houston? JD, >> it’s been great. I’ve been raising my family here. I got three beautiful kids, a 10-year-old, a six-year-old, and a four-year-old. And, uh, they love Houston.
uh born and raised here and uh we just been the whole time. Just been playing football other places, but I’ve been watching from a distance and uh it’s been great and I’m just happy to be back in the building. >> So when you say that and you mentioned your wife Yes, sir. >> I think back to when you walked in this building in 2014, >> wideeyed 20 what? 21 years old.
>> 21 just turned 21. >> I mean no kids at that point, >> right? >> To where you are now. What’s probably the biggest change in you a as a person JD and as a player? I just growing up as far as becoming a man.
Uh learning learning more about myself. Um and being patient. My patience have grown and just you know just becoming a man like having kids that teach you patience and >> teach you everything about life and just can’t rush into stuff and how to do things slow and take your time and make the decisions and uh I think that’s been the biggest change for me getting married and you know having kids and building a family been great for me. Seven teams, Jade Devian, and you look at each situation, it’s all different, right? So, every time you go somewhere, you’ve been able to contribute, but each situation is different.
What was that process like getting acclimated to each team and then being a success? >> Oh, man. It was it was difficult difficult sometimes because sometimes going after training camp and, you know, try to jump into the scheme and a scheme in the middle of the season, but I always just say at the end of the day, one thing you can do is play football, you know, and you a football player, you very instinctive. And I knew that about myself. So every time I walked out there, I said, “I might not know the playbook like that off the back, but I’m very instinctive player playing football.
” So I just let my instincts take over and I I just kept succeeding throughout my career playing no matter where I went. I just kept succeeding, playing at a high level. >> JD, how much did you did you know Demo Ryan before this process? Had you guys met before? Because I know you I don’t think you guys crossed over in a building that I can remember here.
Did you have you know just knowledge of Demo? What was kind of your thought about, hey, I like what the Miko’s doing. I like what the defense is doing, and it’s obviously your home here in Houston. How much did all that play a factor to Mico Ryan’s particular? >> Uh, very much a lot.
Uh, past seven, eight years, like I said, since he signed, I’ve been watching from a distance like, d, he got that team ready to play. Them guys follow him. They they buy in. And you want to be a part of an organization like that. And a guy that everybody’s believe in like can lead.
And for me watching that on TV and you I’m at home watching on TV. I’m like I can be a part of it. I know I can help that team. And when there was time and then I had the opportunity to come back, it was a no-brainer for me. >> Y >> and then matter about the money and other teams that was called I was like a man I got a chance to go back to where it all started and try to finish the how I want to finish my uh career and my legacy in the place where I started.
So that’s what I was thinking about when I made my decision this offseason. >> How do you see yourself fitting in? Did they talk to you about that your role? Because some pretty good pass rushers here as you know. >> No question.
No question. Uh like I said, I told them guys I know they got great pass rushers. Uh I’m just a great player myself. I just told them ain’t going to be no fall off >> out of the them three. You won’t be able to tell the difference.
So just we’ll see, you know. Uh I don’t want to just keep speaking on I want I’m going to show me guys. So I’m just going to show up every day and show them guys what I can do and contribute to help the team any way I can. Johnny’s already talking about moving you inside sometimes, inside, outside, >> moving you everywhere. >> Yeah, for sure.
And you like that too, right? >> Yeah. Yeah, I played it all a lot here when I was uh when I was here. I played inside a lot like rushing up the middle uh over the guards, over the center. I I feel like I can pretty much help any any way they can see me fit.
And I still dominate in the run game, still dominate, you know, getting to the quarterback pressure. So, you know, I just like I said, having fun with it and continue to try to continue my career and know where other place to do it than back in Houston where I started. >> One of my favorite moments, JD, we were in a locker room. I don’t know if you remember this. We were in a locker room and I was interviewing somebody after the game as player of the game.
And I remember you looked at me and you’re like, “Hey, you’ll be talking to me next week.” >> You feel me? Yeah, man. and you I mean you called your shot and then it was Indianapolis 2016 and you had the sack on Andrew forced the fumble kept them out of the end zone. So we were talking about that this morning.
>> Do you have a play or moment that you remember most from your first stint with the Texans that you got? You have you have like you know what that one because I said to Mark I have a couple of moments that didn’t show up on the stat sheet. >> Yes sir. >> We had your interception against the Raiders in playoff game which is cool. You had the touchdown against New England.
Those are great stats on the stat sheet. >> I have some you chasing down Brandon Lefell against the Bengals. You all you almost caught it. Almost. >> That was pretty damn impressive.
Uh and then in the playoff game against the Patriots up there, you hit Tom Brady. I thought you broke him. >> Me too. I thought I got him, but >> I thought you had it. I thought I didn’t think he was getting up from that.
But do you have one like a favorite memory? >> Man, it was so many. Um when it come I remember we was playing I want to say the Minnesota Vikings one year. >> Yeah. Yeah, >> I got some big hits on one of their running backs and I was just like it was them some of the best hits.
It went no helmet knockoffs but like slide [laughter] inside, boom, drop the boom on guys on the goal line trying to squeeze in and >> all of that just was played memories and especially against the coach. >> Yeah. >> All them years playing against Andrew Luck >> and you know making plays on against division was crazy for me and you know that was how we always see as being playing in Texas. Got to beat up on that division. So all them division games to me was so big that I always wanted to make plays and try to contribute.
So that’s all I kept thinking about like what can I do to help the team and make plays. So there’s so much that I can talk about on teams like you said the playoff game. We tried to make the run against the Raiders for pick six >> talking for loss and I pulled the guy’s hair down. >> Yeah, that’s right. It [laughter] was one of the great plays for me and you know I was like I got him by one dread.
[laughter] >> So you know it’s legal. >> Yeah, it was. So it was so much here. so much history for me and so much from part of my legacy that I had picked down in the first five years of my career making all pro >> was here and you know my like I said raised my family here so it’s been great for me >> yeah 2016 is notable because you were the number one defense in the league and this past year Texans number one defense in the league we’re talking yards per game and that was you and Whitney just wreaking havoc up front along with everybody else >> DJ Reer >> yeah DJ Reer >> are you in touch with a lot of the guys Yeah, I still I do. Uh I work out with DJ Reed all the time.
Okay. Kareem Jackson, Jonathan Joseph, all them guys. I still stay in touch with them, you know. Uh kids hang out together. >> It’s just been great just developing the relationships over the years and continue to own throughout my life.
Uh it’s been great even though I haven’t been playing with him. You know, every offseason I get up with him, I stay here. Jonathan Jones, I see his kids. DJ Reer, >> he got [clears throat] two boys now. And it’s like, hey, we we just blessed to continue to play the game we love and you know, and our kids get to watch us now, my kids.
And it’s it’s just been fun for me. >> From that standpoint, them getting a chance to watch you on television. Yes, sir. >> How cool is that for you? Because we’ve talked to people, you know, when they have kids, like we saw DJ last year up in Detroit.
We had a long chat with him. It was good to see him. But when your kids get a chance to watch you, what’s that like, >> man? You just you just don’t want to let them down. Yeah.
My son know the game and he like so funny. I signed a Dallas late last year and my first game was Rusty against Green Bay Packerton. And after the game, he was like, “Dad, I know that wasn’t you out there.” [laughter] And I was like, “Son, I promise you if I don’t do nothing, I’m going to get better from here.” You know, it ain’t going to get back, but I’m going to get nothing better.
I just got to knock the rust off. He’s like, “My dad was he fell down a few times.” I was like, “I promise you, son, I’m get better.” But he noticed that type of stuff at 10 years old. He watched the game tight now, and >> I just be want to prove him that I can still go.
So half of the stuff I do because of my kids, you know, I I I I be consistent, more consistent now in my career and work out because my son work out with me. >> You know, I do a lot of stuff to try to lead him to show him how how you supposed to go about it. >> Yeah. >> 13th year in the league and that’s incredibly difficult to accomplish no matter who you are. So how have you changed over the years in terms of the way you take care of yourself, if at all?
Because you came in in 2014. I mean that’s a while ago. So how’s that evolved for you? Man, it’s it started crazy because like you said, I got hurt my first game of my career. Uh I probably played like seven, eight snaps and had that micro fracture and I came in at 270, you know, and I had to slim up because I couldn’t I had no more cartilage on my knee for these years.
But all these years, it’s just been really >> developing a different way to attack my body as far as u like getting inflammation out or >> you know trying to get my knee flexion back. And over the years, I just been increasing myself and getting better and better and better. And I know I’m getting older in age, but my body started feeling better the late in my career. And it it kind of helped me, you know, um just getting healthier and taking care of I spent some a lot of money on it. >> Spent a lot of money on my body, but it all it’s it’s also it also worked out for me and paid off for me.
Then I still get to play 13 years in the league. Like I said, it’s been a blessing. >> I’m just blessed to be here, continue to be playing cuz like it could have been over with a long time ago. I started, you know, I had injury, injury, injury back to back to back. to both of my groins to my knee up here, all here.
And then >> it started getting better. I just thank God for that because >> I didn’t know at one point in time in my career. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was like, I don’t know, Mom. I just couldn’t get over the injury part my first two years.
And then I started getting better, you know, and it started coming together and then start kept making plays. >> Well, there are a lot of offensive linemen that would like for you have stepped away at that point, but you didn’t. I I remember I I think I can tell the story now. It was 2018. We went to Denver >> and JJ was hurt.
JJ wasn’t playing and we went we went back on the field. That was the dear that was Dearius game. Yeah. >> That was when we had gotten Demarius and Demarius was playing back in Denver with us and we end up winning the game, missed the field goal and all that. But I remember JJ walked by me by halftime and he goes, “You know Clowny ain’t supposed to be playing.
” And I was like, “What do you mean?” He goes, “You had like a I don’t know what’s the worst what’s the worst you could have like grade is grade one the worst or grade three?” >> Grade two and he’s like two or three. he’s got a grade three groin issue. >> And I was like, and he’s he’s playing and he you were playing that game.
And I just remember he was like, Clownish shouldn’t be out there. And I was like, and yeah. And at the NFL level, you do have to you do make sacrifices. You do play when you’re >> when you’re hurt. >> Yeah.
>> You know, there’s difference between being hurt and injured. >> But at what point did you kind of have that epiphany of you know what, >> how do I take care of my body a little bit better? When did you have when did that hit you? probably when I left here. >> Okay.
>> I didn’t I I was young and naive and anybody could have got me to do anything at 20 21 especially when you drafted me here. You know, I didn’t know no better. If I knew what I knew now, I probably would have told them, “Hey, just let me get healthy, fully healthy, and try to come back >> where I would have to keep getting hurt.” Sure. >> I just kept going out there, >> listen to other people tell me, “Oh, you can do it.
” And I went listen to myself and I kept putting myself in them situations. So it was like young just being young. >> Y >> and as I got older I started learn just take care of your body you know listen to your body. Don’t let nobody else tell you how it go or where you should be at in 6 weeks. You know they put a time table on me to get back healthy.
And when it came to that point and I went there I started saying in my head I got to go cuz it’s past it’s 6 weeks. You know that’s what they told me I should be feeling better. So I started trying to do stuff because other people and not myself. at that point in time in my career when I was younger. As I got older, I started saying, “Just take care of me and everything will take care of itself.
” So, that’s what I changed that when I left. >> It’s wild to me that we have a player here who is teammates with Andre Johnson and you’re still with the Texans. Well, you’re back. You were originally with the Texans, but what do you make of the building, the facilities, people around here? Because it’s different than when you were here.
>> It’s time now. It’s so much It’s so different. It’s so much better, too. Uh, >> locker room’s amazing. Yeah, >> the the weight room’s amazing.
They up put an upstairs in there. It’s >> crazy. I said I I couldn’t even come up with that. How could they evolve that much and add that much in this building? But they they figured it out.
It’s nice though. And the training room is huge now. I mean, they script it. It looks so much bigger than when I was when I was here. Uh, the food great.
>> Yeah. >> Cafeteria food. I just ate in there twice. They had lamb chopped chicken. It was It was great.
But, uh, [laughter] it’s just been great, man. Like I said, just I’m just happy to be back here, back playing and, uh, continue my career here. >> So, this morning we were doing our show kind of in the corner as you, you know, walk on the practice field. We’re at that first corner when everybody walks by. So, we expect you to say hi to us tomorrow.
>> Yes, sir. >> But I saw the fans fans going by and they’re all wearing jerseys and, you know, saw Nico go by. I saw CJ Stra go by and then I saw one woman that was walking by and she had a 90 clowny jersey on. >> People have not forgotten you around here, man. like they they have not forgotten about you.
There was an excitement yesterday when it was announced that you were coming back to the Texans, not just by by Mark and I. It was it was everybody like Clowny’s coming back. There was like this big excitement. What do you have to say to the fans that are that still have that love for you and >> now as Texans fans get a chance to see you again play? >> Hey man, I appreciate it.
I’m so excited, so blessed to have you guys. Um, it’s wonderful and I hope I can go out here and make you guys proud again this year and give y’all everything I got. You know, I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully lead this team to a Super Bowl. That’s the That’s what our plan my plan was this year.
I’m sure that’s
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