Jimmy Clausen

James Richard Clausen (born September 21, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) from 2010 to 2015.

He was the most highly touted recruit for the Fighting Irish since the arrival of Ron Powlus in 1993.

Clausen announced his Verbal commitment at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana, after arriving in a stretch Hummer limousine.

He also said his goal was to win multiple national titles with the Irish.

In 2006, he threw 49 touchdown passes for the season to lead the Lions to their first ever Division III state title over Cardinal Newman High School (Santa Rosa, CA).

Clausen never lost a football game he started in his prep career (42–0).

He threw for 10,677 yards in his career at Oaks Christian.

As a senior, Clausen won the 2006 Hall Trophy for the nation's top high school football player and was also named "Offensive Player of the Year" by the USA Today.

Clausen was also named the Co Player of the Year, along with USC running back Joe McKnight, by Parade Magazine.

As the younger brother of two former NCAA Division I quarterbacks—Casey and Rick Clausen, who both played at Tennessee—Jimmy Clausen gained media attention very early.

Beginning in eighth grade, his parents paid his tutelage under professional quarterbacks coach Steve Clarkson.

During his junior season, a Sports Illustrated feature dubbed him "The Kid with The Golden Arm".

On April 22, 2006, Clausen verbally committed to the University of Notre Dame.

Recruiting analysts considered him a "once in a decade" quarterback talent and ranked him as the #1 overall prospect of the 2007 high school class.

Because of his quick release, some in the media compared him to Joe Namath.

Critics have questioned whether Clausen's success in high school was largely a product of his team—containing almost a dozen players that went on to play for NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision teams, including a highly ranked running back, Marc Tyler—and the inferior talent level of its opponents.

Many of these critics pointed to the 2007 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in which Clausen was outplayed by fellow 2007 quarterback recruit, Ryan Mallett.

Further, Clausen's age is a subject of criticism: he started kindergarten at six and repeated sixth grade, thus he was 19 years old at the time of his early graduation.

Clausen, who graduated from high school one semester early, enrolled at Notre Dame on January 16, 2007.

In Notre Dame's only preseason practice open to the media, Clausen threw only a number of short passes, casting some doubt on the strength of his arm after off-season elbow surgery.

Following Notre Dame's opening loss to Georgia Tech in the 2007 season, Clausen was named the starting quarterback, but would win only one of his first six starts (against UCLA) and was replaced by backup quarterback Evan Sharpley during Notre Dame's loss to Boston College on October 13, 2007.

Citing non-specific injuries to Clausen (who had been sacked 23 times), head coach Charlie Weis named Sharpley as the starting quarterback for Notre Dame's game against USC on October 20, 2007.

After sitting out Notre Dame's losses to USC and Navy, Clausen was again named the starter for their game against Air Force.

Clausen finished his freshman year having completed 56.3% of his passes for 1,254 yards, with 7 touchdowns (plus two rushing TDs) and 6 interceptions and a passing efficiency of 103.85, and he was sacked a team-record 34 times.

During his sophomore season, he completed 60.9% of his passes for 3172 yards, 25 touchdowns and 17 interceptions and a 132.5 efficiency rating which placed him as the 44th ranked quarterback in NCAA Division I FBS.

He led the Fighting Irish to a 7–6 record, culminating in a 49–21 victory against Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl — which ended Notre Dame's NCAA-record nine-game bowl losing streak.

Clausen set Notre Dame bowl records with 406 yards passing and five touchdowns and was named the bowl's co-MVP.

In his junior season, Clausen was named midseason All-American by Sporting News.

He finished the season with 3,722 yards passing, a 68.8% completion rate, 161.42 passer rating, 28 touchdowns, and four interceptions.

On Monday, December 7, 2009, Clausen declared that he would forgo his senior season at Notre Dame and enter the NFL draft following news of the firing of head coach Charlie Weis.

Clausen announced his intention to enter the 2010 NFL draft on December 7, 2009.

Clausen was expected to be one of the top quarterbacks available in the draft, along with former Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford.

He was projected by many to be a Top-10 pick.

Surprisingly, however, he was not selected in the first round of the draft, with Bradford and Florida's Tim Tebow selected ahead of him.

He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft.

After compiling a 1–9 record as the Panthers' starting quarterback during his rookie season, Clausen remained with the team for three more seasons without seeing any game action.

Clausen returned to Notre Dame during the 2011 off-season to finish his degree in sociology.

He then spent parts of the 2014 and 2015 seasons as a backup for the Chicago Bears and the Baltimore Ravens.

Clausen had an outstanding prep career at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California.

He was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 16th pick of the 2nd round (48th overall).