Adrian Clayborn’s football journey has been a remarkable one.
Born with a nerve condition known as Erb’s palsy, Clayborn starred at Iowa, was drafted in the first round and has been a productive NFL pass rusher for the past seven seasons despite not having full use of his right arm.
What is Erb’s palsy? Clayborn, who signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the New England Patriots last week, described it in a January essay for The Players’ Tribune:
The best way I can explain it is that when I was born the doctor had to pull me out by my neck. In the process, I suffered nerve damage on the right side of my body — basically in my neck, trap and bicep. So I’ve always had limitations in my right arm as far as strength and mobility.
Even today, I have to lift different dumbbells when I’m doing curls or shoulder raises or whatever, because my right arm just isn’t as strong as my left. I wouldn’t say it’s night and day, but it’s a big difference. My right arm is also a little smaller than my left, and I can’t fully extend it — like, I can’t lock my right elbow so my arm is completely straight.
The condition hasn’t prevented Clayborn from racking up 30 career sacks — including a career- and team-high 9 1/2 for the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 — but it does limit his defensive versatility. The veteran defensive end plays almost exclusively on the right side, rushing from the left on just two of his 478 pass-rush snaps this past season, according to Pro Football Focus.
“I play the right side,” Clayborn said Wednesday during his introductory conference call with New England reporters. “That’s where I’ve been playing for most of my career. It doesn’t really affect me, besides in the weight room with doing some stuff. But on the field, it doesn’t really affect me. I’ve learned to compensate when I have to, and I do what I’ve got to do to make the plays.”
Clayborn considered retirement after tearing his bicep during the 2016 playoffs and watching the Falcons’ Super Bowl LI collapse from the sidelines. He returned to have one of the best seasons of his career, leading the Falcons in sacks and quarterback hits and grading out as PFF’s 19th-best edge defender, six spots behind new teammate Trey Flowers.
The highlight of Clayborn’s campaign came in Week 10, when he abused Dallas Cowboys backup left tackle Chaz Green in a dominant six-sack performance. When the Patriots signed him last Friday, he was considered the best pass rusher remaining in free agency.
Clayborn primarily was a situational pass rusher for Atlanta but expressed confidence in his ability to be a three-down player. He’s a candidate to start opposite Flowers this season.
Flowers played the majority of his snaps on the right edge in 2017 but also spent significant time on the left and as an interior rusher.
