Ex-Houston Texans First Round Pick Jadeveon Clowney Hoping to Build Upon 'Kobe Bryant Year'

After signing with the Panthers, former Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is hoping to build upon his "Kobe Bryant Year," showcased with the Ravens.

Sep 10, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is pressured by / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Former Houston Texans first-round pick Jadeveon Clowney will continue his career as a member of the Carolina Panthers. He signed with the Panthers as a free agent on a two-year deal worth $20 million.

Clowney is joining the Panthers after a successful one-year tenure with the Baltimore Ravens, where he recorded 43 tackles, 19 quarterback hits and 9.5 sacks.

Clowney recently revealed that he changed his number to 24 in honor of the late Kobe Bryant due to the challenges he faced amid his personal life the previous year. He will wear No. 7 with the Panthers, the same number he wore during his college days at the University of South Carolina. But the former defensive pass rusher is hoping to build upon his "Kobe Bryant Year."

Sep 10, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is pressured by / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

"I tell people all the time if I play in 16, 17 games, it’s going to look like a Pro Bowl season," Clowney said per David Newton of ESPN.com. "That was my Kobe Bryant year, the return of the killer. I said Kobe [year] because when I was in Cleveland a lot of stuff happened my last year there when I didn’t have my best season. They put out that article about me saying all this about what was going on."

Clowney began his career with the Texans in 2014. They made Clowney the No. 1 pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played five seasons in Houston and recorded 205 tackles, 109 quarterback hits, 43.0 sacks and 13 forced fumbles.

Before his one-year stint with the Ravens, Clowney spent the previous two seasons as a member of the Cleveland Browns. His time with Cleveland was his third team since his jettison from the Texans in August 2019.

The Texans traded him to the Seattle Seahawks following a contract dispute. He later signed with the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2020 season.