Local NFL players roundup: Clowney comes up with biggest play of his pro career

Jadeveon Clowney, Houston- was it the biggest play of Jadeveon Clowney’s pro football career? Almost certainly.

With the Colts perched at the Texans’ 3-yard line and threatening to take the lead with a couple minutes left in the third quarter Sunday, the former South Pointe Stallion Clowney produced a strip-sack of QB Andrew Luck, recovered by the Texans. Houston got a field goal on its next drive to stretch its lead to nine points and held on with another defensive stop late in the game for the win.

Lined up on the right end of the Texans’ defensive line, Clowney faced up to former Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen, and beat him from the snap, blowing past the Colts blocker and raking his arm down on Luck from the blindside.

“The play before they tried to block me with a tight end and I stood him up, I was ready for him,” Clowney told the media Sunday. “They tried to come back with the same play, this time they tried to pass and I went around.”

The former No. 1 overall pick made three tackles in the game, with a sack, tackle-for-loss and three quarterback hits. As a group, the Texans recorded 13 QB hits on Luck. Clowney’s fellow Rock Hill native Johnathan Joseph was inactive as he recovers from lung and rib injuries.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota- Patterson caught three passes for 18 yards and returned a kickoff 53 yards before being run out of bounds during the Vikings’ 25-16 win over Jacksonville. Patterson’s 31.7-yard per kick return average leads the NFL by four yards, and his big runback Sunday helped set up a Vikings field goal. The former Northwestern Trojan also made a special teams tackle.

Stephon Gilmore, Buffalo- the Bills fell 27-20 to Pittsburgh but Gilmore picked off Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger for the former South Pointe standout’s fifth interception of the season. He picked off a second quarter pass intended for Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and returned it to the Pittsburgh 7-yard line; the Bills scored two plays later. Gilmore also made a tackle and defended a pass; he’s tied for second in the NFL in interceptions.

Jonathan Meeks, Buffalo- Rock Hill High’s Meeks made a tackle during the Bills’ loss to Pittsburgh. Meeks played 20 total snaps, three on defense and 17 on special teams.

This story was originally published December 13, 2016 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Local NFL players roundup: Clowney comes up with biggest play of his pro career."