Jadeveon Clowney playing through foot injury, plans to have offseason surgery

South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney said bone spurs in his foot continue to "bother" him. (The State/Getty Images)

Star South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney admitted after the Gamecocks' win over Vanderbilt on Saturday that the foot injury he dealt with last season is still bothering him.

Clowney said he will play through the "painful" bone spurs and then undergo surgery during the offseason.

The 20-year-old junior is widely considered the front runner to be the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

He has recorded two sacks in South Carolina's first three games this season after notching 13 last season.

From the Spartanburg Herald Journal's Matt Connolly and Rudy Jones:

Clowney missed the Wofford game last season and was slowed throughout the year with a right foot injury. “I'm going to get it cleaned out after the season's over with,” he said.

“It's painful,” Clowney said. “I'm out here playing on it though. I'm just trying to give it everything I've got.”

Clowney said the only way the foot will improve this season is with rest.

“It only bothers me when I'm out there. It just builds up pain,” he said. “The more I keep going the more it bothers me.”

Clowney plans to have surgery this offseason to fix the problem.