Clay's Facts 6’3” 255lbs High School : John W. North High School – Team Name Huskies # 1995 DIV#4 CIF Champions High School Highlights John W. North High School in Riverside, California, and was a letterman in both football and basketball. In football, he won All-State honors at both running back and linebacker as a senior under head coach Mark Paredes. Claiborne graduated from high school in 1996. The Huskies and the 1995 Division 4 CIF Football Champions. College: USC #55 College career Claiborne was a first-team All-American graduate of the University of Southern California. He is the only Trojan to have won the Dick Butkus Award as the nation's best college linebacker. NFL: 1999 to 2002 Detroit Lions #50, 2003 to 2004 Minnesota Vikings #55, 2005 St. Louis Rams, 2006 New York Giants Professional career Previously, Claiborne played for the Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Vikings, the St. Louis Rams, and the New York Giants. He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in August 2007

Chris Claiborne  ILB - USC - Pac-10 Selected by Detroit Lions in round 1, pick 9 overall At the beginning of the season, the household name at this position was Andy Katzenmoyer of Ohio State, however, the junior, Claiborne has exploded onto the draft scene and has replaced Katzenmoyer as the top ILB in this draft. He has all the tools for greatness including size, speed and athletic ability and while he is a tough inside player, he has the qualities to play outside because of his range and overall speed. He has excellent lateral movement, has a knack for getting off blocks and is an excellent open field tackler. He also has outstanding pass rush potential and good cover skills, both of which are unusual qualities for an ILB. He is the most complete player at his position in this draft and the combination of his abilities plus a strong work ethic and a great motor make him a "safe" pick. He is a player that can become a cornerstone for a NFL defense.

Claiborne a finalist for the Butkus USC linebacker Chris Claiborne was named one of three finalists for the Dick Butkus Award, given to the nation's top college linebacker. "It's a great honor to be a finalist," Claiborne said. "I got to achieve something not a lot of people get a chance to." The other two finalists were Florida's Jevon Kearse and Texas A&M's Dat Nguyen. Claiborne said that the honor is a testament to the coaching of USC linebacker coach Shawn Slocum, who also coached Nguyen as an Aggies assistant. The winner will be chosen on Dec. 11 in Florida.