Clayborn: ‘They can’t not have football’

Former Iowa football player Adrian Clayborn spent the last three months in Scottsdale, Ariz., getting ready for next month's NFL draft.

He participated in a pro day Monday in Iowa City and tonight from 6 to 8:30 will sign autographs at Tailgators in Coralville. Last week, he talked to The Gazette's Marc Morehouse about a variety of topics:

Q: I know you're tired of talking about (Erb's Palsy), but how did that play out at the combine? (Clayborn was born with the ailment, which is a loss of movement or weakness of the arm that occurs when the collection of nerves around the shoulder are damaged during birth.)

A: The one day we talked to all the team doctors, they didn't have a problem with it. They were actually pretty impressed by the recovery or whatever from birth. It all went well. No teams had concerns about it. Teams were pretty happy, well, not happy but impressed that it's gained so much strength and stuff like that. It went well. I expected doctors to be more critical about it, so it went well.

Q: Are you planning to go to New York (for the draft)?

A: No, I wasn't invited. I was planning to be in St. Louis anyway. I want to be with family.

Q: Thoughts on the labor situation? Does it kind of hang over everything?

A: There's still going to be a draft, that's the good thing ... It's going to get worked out, it's just a matter of time ... It's a big deal, but they can't not have football. It's nothing to panic about, but the lockout has to be done, I guess.

Q: Have you worked up a draft ego to surf through the negatives that come up?

A: It comes with being in the position I'm in, a first-rounder. It comes. It's not funny, but it makes me giggle, these guys on the Internet and these mock drafts, they have no affiliations with the teams. They don't know what teams I'm talking to. They don't know what teams Nick Fairley is talking to. They just go off guessing and entertainment value. They don't know anything, really. They don't know if I'm talking to the fifth pick or the 20th pick or the whatever pick. You have to take it for what it is. They don't know what they're talking about, but they need something to talk about.

Q: Does that stuff sting?

A: Not really. I know I didn't have such a great senior season. I know I can still play. I know what I went through, triple and double teams and all that stuff. I know I'm an NFL-level player. NFL teams have told me that. You've just got to take it for what it is. It's something to distinguish players. This guy didn't have a great senior season; J.J. Watt had a great senior season. They need something to talk about. It is what it is.

Q: I know you've been in Arizona. Who have you been working with and what's been the focus?

A: I've been working at a place called PEP, Performance Enhancement Professionals. I've been working on everything. When I first got here, I learned about dieting right and getting rid of this belly. Eating right. Working on the 40, working on all the drills for the combine. Now I'm just staying in condition. But, really, it's learning how to be a pro athlete. I didn't know there was so much involved with being a pro athlete. The whole experience and just what's going to be coming in the next few months, there's a lot that goes into it. A lot I really didn't expect.

Q: Losing the belly?

A: I say that jokingly. Every college guy has body fat, so just trimming down and getting more fit and getting more pro-ready, I guess I could say.

Q: How has Iowa been through this? I know Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle has a program for guys preparing for the draft.

A: I had a conversation with coach Doyle even before the bowl game. I explained to him why I was leaving. There was mutual respect. He understood it ... I've talked to coach Doyle since I've been out here and I've talked to Coach (Kirk) Ferentz a couple times and coach K (D-line coach Rick Kaczenski) numerous times. It's not like all lines of communication have been cut off since I've decided to train somewhere else.

Clayborn on TV

Former Iowa defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn will be on KCRG-TV9 today during the 11:30 a.m. newscast.