Clausen is Driven, Hated, Ready

I don't normally do this, but the article is so good that it must be shared. So, even though it's not the original source, head on over here and take a gander at what makes Jimmy Clausen tick. I couldn't find another source, and I figure going on a website and telling you to buy a copy of ESPN the Magazine is both lame and immoral.

The kid is an interesting experiment. There's probably never been a kid more "prepared" to enter the Notre Dame Football World. But is that necessarily a good thing? I suppose it depends on the makeup of the man. And shockingly enough, considering this article was spewed out of the bastion of ineptitude and bitterness that is ESPN, to read this article you've got to think that Jimmy isn't just ready for Notre Dame on a mental aptitude scale, but also on a mental toughness scale. Just read the bit about the behavior of his old high school rivals:

When the two schools meet again, in the playoffs, it’s an obvious grudge match. Oaks Christian is leading 25-0 when Jimmy scrambles to the sideline. Suddenly, a linebacker whose helmet has fallen off slams Jimmy deep into the bench. As the refs call unnecessary roughness, Jimmy raises his palms to the crowd as if to say, “That’s all you got?” But across the field, the tackler, Sean Westgate, is an instant cult hero. Oak Park coaches and fans feel Jimmy has never been hit; now Westgate has hit him, hard. As the refs enforce the penalty, the Oak Park crowd chants, “That was worth it. That was worth it.” The hate continues.

Clearly, Jimmy can take a hit. What is also clear is that Jimmy has already dealt with the sorts of people that cheer for schools like Michigan and Purdue.

Spring Ball is nearly here, and Jimmy has some high quality competition for the starting QB spot. The other guys are extremely talented and have spent more time in the system. Yet it looks like Jimmy may not be starting off with much of a handicap if any at all.