Clelin Ferrell feels he has grown a lot, both on and off the field, since he was drafted out of Clemson by the Raiders in the first round (4th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.
“I think my biggest thing is just I’m a man now,” the former Tiger defensive end told reporters this week. “When I first came into the league, I thought I was. But it was a lot of things that I was worrying about off the field, whether it was paying my first bill, house mortgage, everything, or trying to understand where you buy furniture at or dealing with the different pressures of being a high-first-round pick. So, a lot of things when I first came into the league kind of hit me. Not saying I didn’t do well responding to them, but it was kind of like I didn’t know the answer. I had to seek out guidance.
“But now I feel like I’m a grown man. It’s an aspect of it’s nothing that can really throw me off. It’s kind of just my mindset comes in. I’m strong, I know what to expect and I know what to look for going into training camp. So, it’s been good.”
Ferrell has played in 26 games over his first two seasons in the NFL from 2019-20, tallying 65 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and 18 quarterback hits.
Heading into his third year in the league, Ferrell – who left Clemson as only the second two-time, first-team AP All-American – is looking to break out and become the type of star player he knows he can be.
“For me, I feel like the thing about myself is I’ve seen different players around the league from present and past that have kind of done some of the same things that I’m trying to do,” Ferrell said. “But I think the best version of myself is something that I can’t really put a ceiling on. So, I’m excited, man. I’m just going to keep putting my head down and going to work. So, it’s been good.”
With training camp underway, Ferrell is happy with where he is from a physical standpoint.
“Obviously, it takes some days getting back ready with this heat. But man, I feel good,” he said. “Last year, I tried to get up to about 275 just because I wanted to be able to hold my own whether I was inside or outside, and now my strength is really good. So, this past offseason has been about cutting back down. So, I tried to cut back to that 267, 268 range, just give myself some room to the point to where I can really be explosive and not have to worry about that extra five pounds. It’s just lagging weight. So, it’s been good for sure. I can’t wait till we put the pads on. That’s when I’ll really be able to get a feel for it.”