Nate Clements facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nate Clements

Clements with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011
No. 22
Position:	Cornerback
Personal information
Born:	(1979-12-12) December 12, 1979 (age 45) Shaker Heights, Ohio, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:	Shaker Heights
College:	Ohio State (1998–2000)
NFL Draft:	2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21
Career history
Buffalo Bills (2001–2006) San Francisco 49ers (2007–2010) Cincinnati Bengals (2011–2012)
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (2004) Third-team All-American (2000) First-team All-Big Ten (2000)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 812 Forced fumbles: 22 Fumble recoveries: 8 Interceptions: 36 Return yards: 1,462 Total touchdowns: 9
Player stats at PFR

Nathan D. Clements (born December 12, 1979) is a former American football player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). A cornerback is a defensive player who tries to stop passes and tackle offensive players.

Nate Clements played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was chosen by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals.

Early Life and High School Football

Nate Clements was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He went to Shaker Heights High School. In high school, Nate was great at playing both defensive back and quarterback.

He was named an All-American by several sports magazines. This means he was one of the best high school players in the country. He had seven interceptions in one season. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player. He also returned two kicks for touchdowns. Clements still holds the school record for career interceptions with 14. His number 20 jersey was retired in 2005, which is a big honor.

College Football Career

Clements went to Ohio State University for college. He played in 36 games and started 24 of them. During his college career, he made 177 tackles and had seven interceptions. A tackle is when a defensive player stops an offensive player who has the ball.

In his junior year, he caught four passes from the other team. He also gained 470 yards returning punts. In 2000, he was named to the All-Big Ten Conference first-team. After his junior year, Clements decided to enter the NFL draft early. This meant he would skip his final year of college to play professionally.

Professional Football Career

Nate Clements was seen as one of the best players available for the 2001 NFL draft. Experts believed he would be a first-round pick. The NFL draft is where professional teams choose new players from college.

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills picked Clements in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He was the 21st player chosen overall. He was the first cornerback picked that year.

Playing for the Bills (2001-2006)

In July 2001, the Buffalo Bills signed Clements to a five-year contract. He quickly became an important player for the team. He started as a kick returner and a third cornerback.

In his first season, he made his first career interception. He returned it 61 yards for a touchdown against Peyton Manning. This is called a "pick-six." He also returned a punt for a 66-yard touchdown. He even got his first sack on quarterback Tom Brady. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.

In 2002, Clements continued to shine. He had a career-high six interceptions that season. He even intercepted three passes in one game against the Miami Dolphins. He returned one of those for a touchdown.

He kept up his strong play in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, he returned another punt for an 85-yard touchdown. He also had a pick-six for the fourth year in a row. This showed how good he was at making big plays.

In 2005, Clements had a career-high 99 tackles. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2005 (for his 2004 season). The Pro Bowl is an all-star game for the best players in the NFL. In 2006, the Bills used a "franchise tag" on Clements. This meant they could keep him for one more year with a high salary. He finished his time with the Bills with another pick-six.

San Francisco 49ers

Joining the 49ers (2007-2010)

In March 2007, the San Francisco 49ers signed Nate Clements to a big eight-year contract. This made him one of the highest-paid defensive players at the time. He became the top starting cornerback for the 49ers.

In 2007, he had 92 tackles and four interceptions. He also had three forced fumbles. A forced fumble is when a defensive player knocks the ball out of an offensive player's hands.

In 2008, Clements made a very exciting play. He returned a blocked field goal 74 yards for a touchdown. A blocked field goal is when a defensive player stops the kick. This was a rare and exciting play. He missed his first game in his professional career due to a thumb injury that year.

In 2009, he did it again! He returned another blocked field goal for a 59-yard touchdown. This made him one of only two players in NFL history to return two blocked field goals for touchdowns. Later that season, he got a shoulder injury while returning a punt. He missed most of the rest of the season.

He returned in 2010 and played in all 16 games. He had 82 tackles and three interceptions that year. In July 2011, the 49ers released Clements.

Cincinnati Bengals

Playing for the Bengals (2011-2012)

Soon after, in July 2011, the Cincinnati Bengals signed Clements to a two-year contract. He became a starting cornerback for the Bengals.

Clements in training camp, 2012

In 2011, he played in 15 games. He had 55 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. The Bengals made it to the playoffs that year. This was Clements' first time playing in a playoff game.

In 2012, Clements started the season as a cornerback. However, he later began to play as a safety. A safety is another defensive position that plays further back from the line of scrimmage. He finished his final NFL season with 53 tackles and one interception.

NFL Career Statistics

Images for kids

• 

  Clements on the field prior to a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 12, 2008