Lucas: As spotlight dims, Clay preparing to shine
John Clay likes the sight line from where he's standing; a safe, comfortable distance outside of the limelight, the spotlight, the scrutiny. From afar, the University of Wisconsin freshman tailback has been able to monitor the recruiting sweepstakes for heralded prep quarterback Terrelle Pryor, a man-child from Jeannette, Pa., who also excels on the basketball court. With the April 1 deadline for signing a national letter-of-intent approaching, the 6-foot-6 Pryor is still considering his options, which include, in no particular order, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Oregon.
"There's so much pressure from schools that want you to commit and are trying to pressure you to commit," said Clay, recalling his own recruiting experience coming out of Racine Park High School. Clay was a national recruit, too, drawing interest from most of the established heavyweights in college football. Some recruiting services had Clay -- who rushed for 5,000 career yards and 58 touchdowns -- ranked among the top five running backs in the nation. For awhile, in fact, Clay was on many of the same short lists as Pryor, though his final two choices came down to Wisconsin and Iowa.
After Tuesday's practice at the McClain indoor practice facility, Clay was asked if he missed all of the attention and recruiting hype and hoopla? "I don't miss it," he said without hesitation. "With the phone calls and the text messages all through the day, there was never a break. But, I guess, coaches have to do what they've got to do to get the players they want." Sighing, he sized up his current status far outside of the celebrity loop. "Now," he said, "I don't have to worry about all the phone calls and all the people wanting me to visit (their schools) or all the people wanting to come to my house. I'm glad that's done and over with."
Clay sounded content and sincere about his peace of mind. "There's not so much pressure and it's good -- it's good to just play football," he confirmed. "It was kind of hectic at the beginning of the year. But after I redshirted, everything died down, and that was good for me." Good from the perspective that he was able to slip out of the spotlight and function at his own pace. "I've been developing into a man, I guess, just growing up on my own," Clay said. "My parents haven't been here to make sure I'm doing this or I'm in class, so it has been a big growing up process for me."
That growth started in summer school, where Clay had to take the necessary steps to be eligible as a UW freshman. By the time the paperwork passed through the NCAA Clearinghouse, clearing him to play, he had already missed a sizeable chunk of the preseason training camp. And that led to the decision to redshirt Clay. In retrospect, it was the best path to follow. "I can say that because it has been a plus for me," Clay said. "Most people don't have time to absorb their first year of college. But I had that chance when I redshirted. I wanted to get a good base on my grades and make sure I didn't mess up like I did going into summer camp. And I had a real good first semester."
In previewing the opening of spring practice, UW coach Bret Bielema addressed the value of Clay's redshirt, preserving four years of eligibility. Referencing the heavy scrutiny that Clay faced because of his recruiting profile, Bielema believed it was the best thing for him to take a step back and focus on adjusting to a new environment. "Since that time his body has really taken a different shape," Bielema said. "He weighs about the same, but he's really molded his body and I'm excited to see him physically get out there and compete -- to see what he can do within the scheme of our offense."
Clay reported Tuesday that he's carrying 230 pounds on his sturdy 6-foot-2 frame, about eight more pounds than he weighed at Racine Park. "I lost some weight and then I gained it back in muscle," he said. "My body is getting a little harder so I'll be able to take the hits in the Big Ten." What about the weight of expectations? That's something different and maybe not as much of a factor now as it would have been last fall if he had played. "Until he plays a down, we won't know exactly what he has," Bielema conceded. "But I like what he has done physically. And the way he's into it, he realizes there are three backs who want the same position that he does and he's working hard to get there."
The tailback competition features P.J. Hill, Zach Brown, Lance Smith and Clay. "Everybody has their own style of running, so it's a bonus for us," Clay observed. "I used to say that I'm more of a power (back) and a little bit of a speed guy. That's the way I was in high school." Interjected Bielema, "When he's out there, the kids understand and respect that he's a big body coming at them. And when he makes a play, a lot of the kids react. That's one of the things I like to sit back and watch as a coach -- when you see a kid make a play and how the team reacts around him -- because you get an understanding of what the kids respect."
Clay has been working hard this spring on knowing his playbook, an early challenge. Even though he hasn't experienced a game day for a long time, he doesn't feel rusty. "That's because when I was redshirting," he said, "I was going against the first-team defense in practice, so I was still getting the game speed. I don't think I've lost much playing against them the whole year. We'll see how the spring game (April 19) goes."
Until, then, he will continue to shape a new identity on the Madison campus. "Here, they call me John," he said. "Back home, they called me Johnny. I'm a junior and they didn't want to confuse me with my dad." There was no mistaking the support that he has received from his parents, John and Sara Clay. Especially last summer. "When I was down, they helped me up," he said. "Our family is very close, and when one of us is hurting then all of us are hurting." But the pain has gone away. And the limelight has dimmed, much to the delight of John Clay, Jr.
File photo/Michelle Stocker/The Capital Times
John Clay warms up during a summer practice in 2007.
