Quiet leader speaks volumes

Big, strong, talented and quiet. Four words that are thrown around without reprieve when the IU football team speaks about their defensive captain, senior Jodie Clemons. \nAs Clemons enters the twilight of his college career, Clemons feels the senior pinch with every passing second on the football field. Clemons said the game clocks in the locker rooms serve as a constant reminder to the imminent ending of both the 2004 season and his own tenure as a Hoosier. \n"I'm in my last year and we're definitely at a breaking point right now. I just try to seize the day," Clemons said. "That's all I keep thinking about. Every day that goes by I can't get it back because it's my last year."\nDefensive line coach Joe Cullen praised Clemons' drive to improve his game and his leadership on the gridiron. \n"He's a great leader," Cullen said. "He's had a great work ethic in the three years that I've known him. He works to be the best, he works at a 100 miles an hour, and the young guys really follow him."\nClemons, an imposing figure at 6-foot-2, 283 pounds, chooses not to lead by force, but by example. Both teammates and coaches said Clemons rarely chooses to raise his voice, but simply plays his own game. \nThis sort of soft-spoken demeanor is an asset to Clemons both on and off the field, as his teammates said his no-nonsense style of play provides a template for all Hoosier defensive linemen on the field.\n"If you watch him at his actions, you will see what type of leadership he has on the field," junior defensive end Victor Adeyanju said. "At times when we're down and we're not doing so well, he can also bring us up and tell us, 'Come on,' and rile up the troops."\nAdeyanju said Clemons' quiet demeanor also serves him off the field, as he is incredibly accessible and friendly at the end of the game. Clemons also adds to the team atmosphere as the team barber.\n"Off the field, this guy is one of the greatest people I have ever met," Adeyanju said. "He also cuts my hair and I can call him up any time so I like him. He's also a really cool, really laid-back guy."\nClemons said his demure has always been a part of his life and does not believe a leader on the field must also inherently be a vocal leader. \n"I've never really been a big motivational guy. You don't have to yell and scream to get ready to play," Clemons said. "But talk is cheap. It doesn't get the play done, it doesn't get your responsibility done."\nHis belief against a loud mouth on the field translates to both sides of the ball as he does not believe trash talk is a useful tactic against him. However, if an opponent does choose to talk, Clemons said he will simply dominate his opponent with his game, not his mouth. \n"If a guy's talking, that's fine because that's what they choose to do," Clemons said. "As a player, you still have to focus on the task at hand and if the opponent chooses to talk, then I'll just beat him with my game."\nIf last Saturday's game against Central Michigan can be used as a gauge, Clemons can indeed back up his lack of words. Clemons finished the game with two solo tackles and also recorded a 10-yard, fourth down sack on an important drive in the second quarter that turned the ball over and essentially broke CMU's back. \nAdeyanju said Clemons also possesses a knowledge of the defensive side of football that few players in the country can match. \n"He's a great person who provides tremendous leadership," Adeyanju said. "He knows every position on the defensive line and knows where the linebackers are supposed to be." \nCullen echoed Adeyanju's sentiments and also said Clemons' knowledge of the ins and outs of the defensive game allows for more speed and explosiveness when reading an offense. \n"He's really smart and he sees things, he picks things up, he reads stances and that makes him faster," Cullen said. "He has a great knack for making the big play. He's technically as good of a defensive lineman that I've coached in a long time."\nWhile his teammates and coaches have nothing but praise for the lineman, Clemons' goals remain humble as he only wants to leave the legacy of a hard-working player behind. \n"I just want to leave a legacy of hard work," Clemons said. "Just listen to the coach and do what you're supposed to do. If it's a play that you're supposed to make, just make the play. Just be solid."\n-- Contact staff writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.