HOUSTON — The distance from the hardscrabble street where Jadeveon Clowney grew up and became an iconic high school football player to the Carolina Panthers’ stadium is just 27 miles.
Although traveling from Carolina Avenue in Clowney’s hometown of Rock Hill, S.C. to Bank of America Stadium in downtown Charlotte, N.C., is only a short drive, it’s been a challenging life journey for the Texans’ towering outside linebacker to reach this point as an NFL player who holds vast potential
Marty Sumichrast is a longtime family friend and mentor to Clowney. He first met him when Clowney was a sophomore in high school, describing him as a tall, scrawny kid still finding his way.
“JD got a nice house because he’d always wanted a house, but it’s not a huge home, it’s a nice, starter home, that’s all he needs,” Sumichrast said. “I think Clowney will be smart off the field as far as business acumen and understanding stuff for the rest of his life. He’s very street smart and he’s got a good feel for people. He has a tremendous future.”
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