Jayrok
Footballguy
You've called him a bum and nothing but a huge bust from day one. The guy had a serious knee injury which didn't let him on the field much in his first year and into his second. He made the Pro Bowl in his 3rd season. Can you at least admit he wasn't the bust you predicted him to be?
"Not nearly well enough to be worth the first pick..." He's had one full season on the field as a pro. You make it sound like his career is over and we are to judge him on what he's done (as if he has nothing else more to do in the NFL) against some sort of criteria of being the #1 pick. The Texans are the #1 defense and without JJ Watt on the field. Clowney is a key part of that defense whether you want to acknowledge it or not. I'm sure the Texans are happy with their selection. If Clowney and Watt can be healthy and on the field together rushing the passer from both sides... good grief.
As for the play against Michigan, do you think he became the #1 pick because of that one play? You make it sound like that play vaulted him to the top of the draft. I watched the Michigan bowl game and it was actually the play prior to that hit that motivated Clowney.
USC got a horrible call on 4th down when Michigan tried a fake punt in the 4th quarter. The runner was clearly stopped short but the ref gave Michigan the first down. The defense was livid and Clowney over turned the bad call on the very next play. He shouldn't have even been on the field. And it's not his fault Michigan's tackle and fullback didn't try to block him. But he was going to disrupt that play in any case.
If you watched the Oakland game yesterday, you saw how Oakland decided early on to double team him. He was killing the left tackle. Bringing in an extra blocker (sometimes it was another tackle, other times a fullback) causes the offense to have one less receiver in the play. It also helps enable the other side pass rush. Which Whitney Mercilus continuously obliged. Bottom line is Clowney is a force. He impacts plays whether he makes the tackle or not.
He did it all through college as well. Teams ran away from his side and double teamed him much of the time on pass plays. That in itself affects the game.
Now, the one thing that I know that Clowney does is he occasionally takes plays off when he's tired. He did in college too. Instead of a bull rush, he'll stand up and try to block the pass or just go through the motions.
But that does not make him a bust. Pro Bowl selections do not make players a bust.
JaMarcus Russell (First pick in the 2007 draft) was a bust. Tony Mandarich (2nd pick) was a bust. Tim Couch (First overall pick) was a bust. Akili Smith was a bust. Heath Shuler was a bust. Ryan Leaf was perhaps the biggest bust in NFL history.
The only thing that will stop Clowney from being a good to great player in the NFL is injury. Can we at least wait a few years down the road to put labels on his career?
Very few people had even heard of Clowney until the hit? Maybe at your house. Ask NFL team scouts, and any other team in the SEC, if they had heard of him prior to that Michigan game. And no one ever said he was the greatest football player in the galaxy. That's your hyperbole. 
