Grady Jarrett: "Clemson feels like home"

by TigerNet Staff - Sun Sep 26 20:59:28 GMT-04:00 2010

CLEMSON- When Ray Lewis said, "The game ain't played with tongues, it's played when you buckle your chinstrap,” you can bet that Grady Jarrett was listening.

Jarrett is a 6-1, 270 pound defensive tackle for Rockdale County High School (Conyers, Ga) who looks up to Baltimore Raven’s middle linebacker, Ray Lewis because of his work ethic and ability to motivate those around him.

“I look up to Ray Lewis because he is hardworking, motivational, and raises the level of play of those around him,” Jarrett told TigerNet. “But, I pattern my play after UNC’s Marvin Austin he’s big, fast, athletic, and just makes plays- He’s all over the field.”

If Grady Jarrett is looking to be like Marvin Austin on the field, he is certainly well on his way after an impressive junior season at Rockdale. Last season, Jarrett recorded 101 total tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, and recovered 2 fumbles. His junior season compares favorably to what Marvin Austin did in his final season as a high school football player- 85 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 17 sacks.

“I think I have a few strengths as a football player,” Jarrett said. “I’m good at recognizing different plays and being able to make adjustments. I also get good leverage and tackle well.”

Jarrett committed to Clemson in June before the start of his senior season. He also received offers from Buffalo, Middle Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Western Carolina. After committing to Coach Swinney and Coach Rumph over the summer, Jarrett said that his is still a strong commitment to the Tigers and he doesn’t have any plans to take other official visits.

“I am still firm to Clemson- it’s where I wanted to be for a long time,” he said. “Clemson is where I felt most comfortable with the players and coaches. It just felt like home. I don’t have any visits scheduled and I don’t plan on taking any official visits.”

As for this season, Jarrett says that he doesn’t pay attention to his individual stats. He is just focused on getting better as a football player and helping his team to be successful, as there are high expectations for the Rockdale County football team. The Bulldogs were just one game shy of the state championship last season, and he is trying to keep his teammates focused so they can go even further this year.

“This season is going good so far,” he said. “We started out strong and now we are just trying to stay focused and continue to play good football and finish strong. I’m not focused on my individual stats. I just want to help my team be successful and play my best.”