Clayborn: Racial slur used in '09 incident

CHICAGO - Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn pleaded guilty in an assault case last winter.

Clayborn was charged with assault causing bodily injury after he allegedly punched a taxicab driver who honked at him in January 2009.

There was more to it.

Clayborn said Tuesday the incident turned racial and the N-word was used. 'It's a racial slur and I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it again, being on the stage that I am,' Clayborn said. 'Now that I know how to handle it, it's something I learned from. I regret doing it, but I wouldn't take it back. I think it made me a better person.' Clayborn is from St.

Louis. That was the first time he heard that word used toward him in Iowa.

'It was a shock to me and I never dealt with that situation,' he said.

Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz called the incident a 'spit in the ocean.' Clayborn wasn't punished for the incident.

'When this all happened, I researched it, not just with Adrian but with several sources, and I was very comfortable with what I learned,' Ferentz said. 'It was never an issue with me. I was very confident it was going to get resolved. ... I think the biggest mistake he made that day was getting out of the car. If he stayed in the car, nothing would've happened.'