Auburn DT Zach Clayton to visit the Steelers

[hawaiiansteel]

Clayton making the rounds

MARCH 29, 2011
by Aaron Wilson


Auburn defensive tackle Zach Clayton has been scheduled for a visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation.

The visit is set for April 7.

He has previously visited the Indianapolis Colts and is scheduled to visit the San Diego Chargers in early April.

Clayton boosted his stock with a strong Pro Day campus workout.

The 6-foot-2, 299-pounder ran between 4.79 and 4.85 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

He also registered a 10-08 broad jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 27 times with a 33 1/2 inch vertical leap.

Clayton was congratulated by Denver Broncos coach John Fox during his workout.

[url="http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Auburn-DT-Zach-Clayton-to-visit-the-Steelers.html"]http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Aub ... elers.html[/url]

[hawaiiansteel]

03/15/2011 - Auburn Pro day: DL Zach Clayton (6-foot-2, 299 pounds) worked out really well and went from not being drafted to drafted with his workout. He's an overachiever, and I was impressed with his athletic ability. He ran a 4.87-second 40-yard dash, had a 33 1/2-inch vertical, 10-foot broad jump, 4.46 short shuttle, and a 7.35 3-cone drill. I thought he was the biggest surprise here.

- Gil Brandt, NFL.com

[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1244922"]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1244922[/url]

[hawaiiansteel]

Auburn's Clayton knows role on defense, plays it well



Auburn senior defensive tackle Zach Clayton has 19 tackles on the year, including seven for loss.

By DAVID MORRISON
Published: November 01, 2010


Auburn head coach Gene Chizik wants you to know Zach Clayton isn’t getting enough credit for his role in this year’s Tiger defensive line.

So does defensive coordinator Ted Roof. So does defensive line coach Tracy Rocker.

Clayton himself? He doesn’t really mind being underrated.

“I’m perfectly OK with it,” Clayton said. “As long as I’m doing my job to help the defense, I’m good.”

Clayton’s job is to help clog up the middle on run defense and occupy double teams, so Nick Fairley and other members of the Auburn front seven can terrorize opposing offenses.

Not exactly things that jump out on the stat sheet, but Clayton is quietly putting together a solid senior season.

The Opelika grad is healthy — thanks in part to Rocker’s knocking on wood and the “rabbit foots” and “chicken legs” the coach jokingly said he put in Clayton’s locker from the preseason — and has tallied 19 tackles and seven tackles for loss in his nine starts this season.

Clayton tallied 37 tackles and nine TFL over 27 games in his injury-riddled first three years on the field at Auburn.

“You know one of those guys that just makes it look easy? Like, ‘I could do that,’ then you go out there and it’s not that easy? Zach makes the whole thing look easy,” freshman defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker said. “He is one of the people that really earned his right of starting. He’s a beast. He’s unblockable. Unblockable.”

Sometimes, that job description includes running down a 5-foot-8, 170-pound tailback in the open field — one that runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash.

Ole Miss’ Jeff Scott broke to the outside against Auburn in the second quarter of the Tigers’ 51-31 win Saturday, booking it down the home sideline in much the same fashion he did while running for an 83-yard touchdown on the Rebels’ second play from scrimmage.

But Auburn’s No. 98 trailed the play and dragged Scott down from behind after a 30-yard gain, a tackle that ended up holding Ole Miss to a field goal with 2:41 before halftime.

“As soon as he broke loose I had to get him,” Clayton said. “I had to get another gear.”

The Tigers were able to tack on 10 more points between then and the buzzer. A momentum-shifting play in a game that had its fair share, courtesy of Clayton.

“Zach Clayton is running down the field chasing guys down ‘X’ amount of yards past the line of scrimmage — it’s phenomenal,” Chizik said. “It’s just great effort. He’s been a real force for us, I think, down there inside.”

Clayton said it had been at least six years since he made a play like that, when he tracked down a ballcarrier 60 yards downfield to save a touchdown in a game at Auburn High.

“I was a little lighter then,” Clayton deadpanned.

The Tigers’ senior sees his role as more than just being the tackle not named “Nick Fairley” on Auburn’s line. His job description also includes helping bring along players such as Whitaker, Kenneth Carter, Corey Lemonier and Nosa Eguae, linemen who are getting their first real taste of the college game this year. Because he, Mike Blanc, Michael Goggans, Antoine Carter — and maybe even Fairley — will all be gone from the line next season.

And he remembers what life was like as a young player.

“It’s one of those things where we’ve got to focus on the little things that we’ve done wrong, and trying to get them corrected,” Clayton said. “And push those young guys along and try to get them where we need to have them the next couple of years.”

Whitaker said all he has to do is sit back and watch. Specifically, watch Clayton run down Scott.

“Wow. That’s what Auburn is all about when you really looking at it,” Whitaker said. “That play itself just explains the whole Zach Clayton. No matter if we’re up by three touchdowns or down by three … Zach is going to be Zach.”

[url="http://www2.oanow.com/sports/2010/nov/01/auburns-clayton-knows-role-defense-plays-it-well-ar-1040924/"]http://www2.oanow.com/sports/2010/nov/0 ... r-1040924/[/url]

[Chadman]

This guy is the sort of player the Steelers need to start looking at in the later rounds. If he cancome in & become a part of the rotation- he'd be a fanatastic late round pick.

Production seems to indicate he could do ok.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Clayton sounds like Chris Hoke 2.0

[D Rock]

I like the idea of looking at linemates of the top guys in the draft. Sure those guys are super talented, but you know they aren't doing it alone. There's usually someone like Clayton there behind the scenes making it happen too. Plus, these guys are used to not having the spotlight, which in my opinion is a plus for a player. It makes them work harder.

[Oviedo]

Clayton sounds like Chris Hoke 2.0

I thought the same thing. Could be a good rotational player. He definitely isn't the starter that we eventual need to take over for Hampton who probably outweighs him by at least 50 pounds. If you want a future Hampton we need to be looking at Phil Taylor or Kendrick Ellis.

[ramblinjim]

Someone said Hoke 2.0, I was thinking Smith 2.0. Quietly going about his business, decent but not great stats but everyone on the team knows how good he is. 6th round flyer?

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Moves like a DE. This might be that typical Steelers draft where they find late round talent to help the team in the future by tucking them away on the PS for a year where the vets in front of them give it another shot. Develop them because don't really need them right away. Drafting a "Clayton" and a "Kearse" in the 6th & 7th rounds would give them the ability to look at them on the field in the preseason and tuck them away. However, didn't work last year with Worthington. Tomlin needs to be a little less friendly with Morris because it seems Tomlin talks to much on his vacations. I feel like we are the farm team for the Bucs.

[Oviedo]

Moves like a DE. This might be that typical Steelers draft where they find late round talent to help the team in the future by tucking them away on the PS for a year where the vets in front of them give it another shot. Develop them because don't really need them right away. Drafting a "Clayton" and a "Kearse" in the 6th & 7th rounds would give them the ability to look at them on the field in the preseason and tuck them away. However, didn't work last year with Worthington. Tomlin needs to be a little less friendly with Morris because it seems Tomlin talks to much on his vacations. I feel like we are the farm team for the Bucs.

We are more successful than the Bucs so we are hardly a farm team for them. Networking is a two way street and I'm sure Tomlin gets as much or more than he gives. I have no doubt that Tomlin is smarter than Morris.