5-Star Advice: Jimmy Clausen
From the book "5-star QB", Q&A with the former Notre Dame QB who became a real estate developer after 6 seasons in the NFL
There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.
In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none.
Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.
This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is one of the most highly regarded recruits in the history of Notre Dame football, Jimmy Clausen. The younger brother of 2 former Tennessee quarterbacks, Casey & Rick, Jimmy went 42-0 at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California and was the #1 overall recruit in the Class of 2007. Clausen came to South Bend with the goal of winning multiple national titles for the Irish and finished with over 8,000 passing yards and 60 passing TD in 3 seasons. The 48th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft played 4 seasons with the Carolina Panthers (the last 3 backing up Cam Newton), wrapping up his NFL career with stops with the Bears and Ravens. Clausen retired following the 2015 NFL season but did go back to school while a professional, earning his degree from Notre Dame in sociology in the spring of 2011.
From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….
When did you get your first scholarship offer?
It was from Tennessee. Both of my brothers went to Tennessee and when my oldest brother Casey was a freshman, they offered me as well.
What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?
I was a backup and played every now and again in blowout situations. I’m not quite sure of the stats, but we played in the championship game and we were down at halftime, and the HC pulled the starter, and I went in to play the remainder of the game and we won.
Did you know how the recruiting services came to the conclusion on your ranking?
No, I had no idea of how they came up with the rankings, but my brothers were both ranked high and I figured because I was the younger brother, they kind of speculated.