Nathan D. Clements (born December 12, 1979) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. He was drafted by the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
21st overall in the
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft was the 66th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting," was held at the ...
, and also played for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
and
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
.
Early years
Clements was born to Nathan Clements, Sr. and Emma Clements in
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the city population was 29,439. Shaker Heights is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland, abutting the eastern edge of the city's limits. In July 1911, ...
and graduated from
Shaker Heights High School.
Nate's father was strict and did not allow Nate to date while in high school.
Clements excelled at both
defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
and
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and was named an
All-American by ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', ''Blue Chip Illustrated'' and ''Super Prep''.
Clements was also named first-team All-Ohio during a season in which he had seven
interceptions
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...
, including one returned for a
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
. He also returned two kicks for touchdowns. Clements led the Raiders to a playoff berth in 1997 and led them past a Euclid Panther team that featured Notre Dame back
Tony Fisher. Clements also holds the Shaker record for career interceptions with 14.
The school retired his number 20 jersey in 2005.
College career
Clements attended
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
. Clements started 24 of 36 games and recorded 177 career tackles and seven interceptions. As a junior, he intercepted four passes and racked up 470 yards returning punts, with an average of 13.1 yards per return. In 2000 he was an All-
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
first-team choice. After his junior year Clements decided to forgo his senior season and declared himself eligible for the
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
. He majored in general studies.
Professional career
Clements declared for the
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft was the 66th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting," was held at the ...
and was regarded as one of the top prospects. Prior to his junior season, Clements was ranked as the second best cornerback in the upcoming draft by NFL draft analyst
Mel Kiper Jr.
Mel Kiper Jr. (; born July 25, 1960) is an analyst covering American football for ESPN. He has appeared on ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984, providing in-depth information on the nation's potential draft picks.
Career
Kiper said th ...
and was also ranked as the 23rd overall prospect regardless of position by Mel Kiper Jr.
He attended the NFL Scouting Combine in
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
, but opted to only perform the bench press and 40-yard dash. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Clements was projected to be a first round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the top cornerback prospect by DraftScout.com.
Buffalo Bills
The
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
selected Clements in the first round (21st overall) of the
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft was the 66th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting," was held at the ...
. Clements was the first cornerback drafted in 2001.
2001
On July 27, 2001, the Buffalo Bills signed Clements to a five-year, $6.70 million
contract
A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
that includes $3.17 million guaranteed.
Throughout training camp, Clements competed to be a starting cornerback against
Lance Brown,
Ken Irvin
Kenneth Pernell Irvin (born July 11, 1972) is a former American football defensive back who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, and the Minnesota Vikings. He was drafted in t ...
, and
Jimmy Williams. Head coach
Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams (born July 15, 1958) is an American football coach. He most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) from 2019 to 2020. Previously, he was head coach of the Buffalo ...
named Clements the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the regular season, behind
Antoine Winfield and Ken Irvin. He was also named the starting kick returner to begin his rookie season.
He made his professional regular season debut in the
Buffalo Bills' season-opener against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
and recorded one solo tackle in their 24–6 loss. On September 23, 2001, Clements made one tackle, deflected a pass, and returned his first career interception for a touchdown during their 42–26 loss at the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. He intercepted a pass by quarterback
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
and returned it for a 61-yard touchdown in the third quarter to mark the first score of his career.
On October 18, 2001, Clements earned his first career start after he surpassed Ken Irvin on the depth chart. He recorded three solo tackles and broke up a pass in the Bills' 13–10 win at the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
in Week 5. In Week 8, Clements collected three combined tackles, deflected a pass, and returned a punt for a 66-yard touchdown during the second quarter of a 30–24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. In Week 14, he collected three combined tackles and made his first career sack on quarterback
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
during a 12–9 loss at the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. On December 23, 2001, Clements collected a season-high 11 solo tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's firs ...
in the Bills' 33–30 loss at the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
in Week 15.
He completed his rookie season in 2001 with 63 combined tackles (53 solo), ten pass deflections, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, a sack, and a touchdown in 16 games and 11 starts. He also had 30 kick returns for 628-yards and four punt returns for 81-yards and a touchdown.
2002
Defensive coordinator
Jerry Gray
Jerry Don Gray (born December 16, 1962) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Gray played college footbal ...
chose to retain Clements and Antoine Winfield as the starting cornerbacks in 2002. On October 20, 2002, he recorded four solo tackles, four pass deflections, three interceptions, and a touchdown during a 20–13 victory at the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
in Week 7. He intercepted three passes by quarterback
Ray Lucas and returned an interception by Lucas for a 29-yard touchdown in the second quarter. In Week 12, Clements collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) and broke up a pass in the Bills' 31–13 loss at the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. On December 29, 2002, Clements had a season-high five pass deflections, nine combined tackles, and an interception during a 27–9 win against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
in Week 17.
Clements finished his second season with 65 combined tackles (52 solo), 13 pass deflections, a career-high six interceptions, and a touchdown 16 games and 16 starts.
2003
Head coach
Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams (born July 15, 1958) is an American football coach. He most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) from 2019 to 2020. Previously, he was head coach of the Buffalo ...
retained Clements and
Antoine Winfield as the starting cornerback tandem in 2003. On September 21, 2003, Clements recorded four solo tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions during a 17–7 loss at the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
in Week 3. He made both interceptions off pass attempts by
Jay Fiedler
Jay Brian Fiedler (born December 29, 1971) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played 76 games at quarterback in the NFL, starting 60, and threw 69 touchdowns. He was inducted into the National Jewi ...
and returned one for a 54-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. In Week 5, he collected a season-high seven combined tackles and a pass deflection in the Bills' 22–16 victory against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. He finished the
2003 season
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
with a total of 61 combined tackles (51 solo), four pass deflections, three interceptions, and a touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts.
He also returned 14 punts for 137 yards in 2003.
2004
The Buffalo Bills chose not to renew Gregg Williams after finishing with a 6–10 record and not qualifying for the playoffs for a third consecutive season. The Buffalo Bills' new head coach
Mike Mularkey
Michael Rene Mularkey (born November 19, 1961) is a former American football coach and tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1983 NF ...
retained Clements as a starting cornerback to begin the season, along with newly acquired free agent
Troy Vincent
Troy Darnell Vincent (born June 8, 1970) is a former American football cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Dolphins as the 7th ...
. In Week 2, Clements collected a season-high seven solo tackles during a 13–10 loss at the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. On October 31, 2004, he recorded a season-high nine combined tackles and was credited with half a tackle in a 38–14 victory against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. On November 21, 2004, Clements recorded five combined tackles, broke up a pass, and returned a punt for a touchdown for the first time in his career during a 37–17 victory against the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
. He returned a punt by
Sean Landeta
Sean Edward Landeta (born January 6, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a punter in both the United States Football League (USFL) and the National Football League (NFL). Landeta played 22 seasons in the NFL for f ...
for an 85-yard touchdown in the third quarter. In Week 17, he recorded five solo tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception by rookie quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...
for a 30-yard touchdown in the Bills' 29–24 loss to the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. The touchdown extended his streak to four consecutive seasons with a
pick six. He completed the
2004 season with 73 combined tackles (53 solo), seven pass deflections, a career-high six interceptions, a touchdown, and was credited with half a sack in 16 games and 16 starts.
Clements also had 35 punt returns for 327-yards and a touchdown.
On January 28, 2005, Clements was named as a late replacement to the
2005 Pro Bowl
The 2005 Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2004 season. The game was played February 13, 2005, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38 – NFC 27. The most valuable player was Peyton Manning of the Colts ...
. He replaced
Kansas City Chiefs' cornerback
Patrick Surtain
Patrick Frank Surtain Sr. ( ; born June 19, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. ...
who was himself replacing
Baltimore Ravens' Chris McAlister
Christopher James McAlister (born June 14, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He played college football for the University of Ar ...
. Both players were unavailable to play due to injuries.
2005
Head coach Mike Mularkey retained Clements as a starting cornerback in 2005, along with Terrence McGee. On November 20, 2005, Clements collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (nine solo) during a 48–10 loss at the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
in Week 11. In Week 14, he tied his season-high of 11 combined tackles (nine solo), deflected a pass, and made an interception in the Bills' 35–7 loss to the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. He completed the
2005 season with 99 combined tackles (78 solo), 13 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.
2006
On January 13, 2006, Buffalo Bills' head coach
Mike Mularkey
Michael Rene Mularkey (born November 19, 1961) is a former American football coach and tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1983 NF ...
unexpectedly resigned from his role after a 5–11 campaign in 2005.
On February 22, 2006, the Buffalo Bills' general manager
Marv Levy announced that the Bills would apply their franchise tag to Clements for the 2006 season. On May 7, 2006, Clements signed a one-year, $7.20 million tender to remain with the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills' new head coach,
Dick Jauron
Richard Manuel Jauron (born October 7, 1950) is a former American football player and coach. He played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), five with the Detroit Lions and three with the Cincinnati Bengals. Jauron served as the he ...
, officially named Clements the No. 1 starting cornerback entering the regular season, alongside
Terrence McGee
Terrence Dewayne McGee (born October 14, 1980) is a former American football cornerback and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by Buffalo Bills in the fourth round (111th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. He playe ...
.
On November 5, 2006, Clements collected a season-high nine combined tackles and deflected a pass during a 24–10 win against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
.
In Week 11, he made four combined tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, and an interception during a 24–21 win at the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
.
In Week 14, Clements collected five combined tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception for a 58-yard touchdown in the Bills' 31–13 win at the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
in Week 14.
He finished the season with 70 combined tackles (54 solo), a career-high 16 pass deflections, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts.
San Francisco 49ers
2007
On March 2, 2007, the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
signed Clements to an eight-year, $80 million contract with $22 million guaranteed. The contract made him the highest paid defensive player in league history in 2007.
![Nate Clements on field pregame at Eagles at 49ers 10-12-08 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Nate_Clements_on_field_pregame_at_Eagles_at_49ers_10-12-08_1.JPG)
Clements became part of a revamped secondary that finished 27th in passing yards the previous season. Head coach
Mike Nolan
Michael Tullis Nolan (born March 7, 1959) is a former American football coach. Nolan previously served as a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and a defensive coordinator for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Washington Redskins ...
officially named Clements the No. 1 starting cornerback to start the season, along with cornerback
Walt Harris and safeties
Michael Lewis
Michael Monroe Lewis (born October 15, 1960) Gale Biography In Context. is an American author and financial journalist. He has also been a contributing editor to '' Vanity Fair'' since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. H ...
and
Mark Roman
Mark Emery Roman (born on March 16, 1977) is a former American football player safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Louisia ...
.
In Week 2, Clements collected six solo tackles and sacked quarterback
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger (; born April 5, 1977) is a retired American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth r ...
in the 49ers' 17–16 win at the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
.
On November 25, 2007, Clements collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) and a pass deflection during a 37–31 victory at the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
in Week 13.
On December 23, 2007, he recorded seven combined tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception during a 21–19 victory against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
.
Clements finished the season with 92 combined tackles (77 solo), 14 pass deflections, four interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a sack in 16 games and 16 starts.
2008
Defensive coordinator
Greg Manusky
Gregory Manusky (born August 12, 1966) is an American football coach who is the inside linebacker coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. Manusky started his coaching career as a linebacker coach for two teams over six se ...
retained Clements and Walt Harris as the starting cornerbacks in 2008. On September 14, 2008, Clements collected a season-high seven solo tackles and deflected a pass in a 33–30 win at the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
in Week 2.
On October 19, 2008, he recorded five combined tackles, a pass deflection, and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown during the 49ers' 29–17 loss to the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. Clements recovered the ball and returned it 74-yards for a touchdown in the third quarter after linebacker
Manny Lawson
Manny Lawson (born July 3, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at North Carolina State, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Lawson also played for th ...
blocked a field goal attempt by Giants' kicker
John Carney. On October 21, 2008, the San Francisco 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan after they fell to a 2–5 record. Assistant head coach/linebackers coach
Mike Singletary was named the interim head coach for the remaining ten games. In Week 13, he collected six solo tackles during a 10–3 win at his former team, the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
.
During the game, Clements injured his thumb and was inactive for the 49ers' Week 14 victory against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
.
This became the first time in Clement's professional career that he was inactive. His injury ended his streaks of 119 consecutive game appearances and 115 consecutive starts. In Week 17, Clements tied his season-high of seven solo tackles and also deflected a pass in a 27–24 win at the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
.
Clements finished the
2008 season with 63 combined tackles (56 solo), nine passes defensed, two interceptions, and a forced fumble in 15 games and 15 starts.
2009
The San Francisco 49ers' new head coach, Mike Singletary, officially named Clements the No. 1 cornerback to start the 2009 regular season, opposite
Tarell Brown
Tarell Lameek Brown (born January 6, 1985) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Texas.
High school career ...
. He started in the
San Francisco 49ers' season-opener at the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
and five combined tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception in their 20–16 victory. The following week, Clements made six combined tackles and a season-high four pass deflections during a 23–10 win against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
in Week 2. On September 27, 2009, Clements recorded four combined tackles and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the 49ers' 27–24 loss at the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. Clements recovered the ball and returned it for a 59-yard touchdown after it kicker
Ryan Longwell's attempt was blocked by
Ray McDonald
Raymondo Antoine McDonald (born September 2, 1984) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida, where he was a member o ...
in the second quarter. He joined
Kevin Ross as the only players in NFL history return a blocked field goal for a touchdown on two separate occasions. On November 1, 2009, Clements suffered a right shoulder injury in the first quarter of a Week 8 loss at the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
and exited the game. He sustained the injury after he was tackled by
Philip Wheeler and
Jerraud Powers
Jerraud Powers (born July 19, 1987) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Auburn and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals ...
while returning a punt in the second quarter. Many media members called into question head coach Mike Singletary's decision to place Clements in the punt return role due to his substantial contract and importance in the secondary. Clements took over punt return duties from
Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Jerome Battle (born February 22, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Battle also played for the ...
who had disappointing performances after replacing recently released
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
return specialist
Allen Rossum. Former head coach Mike Nolan was asked upon Clements signing about the possibility of Clements returning punt and immediately rejected the idea stating, "Not even maybe." On November 3, 2009, it was reported that Clements sustained a broken right
scapula
The scapula (plural scapulae or scapulas), also known as the shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). Like their connected bones, the scapulae are paired, with each scapula on eithe ...
to his right shoulder and was expected to miss the remainder of the season. Head coach Mike Singletary elected to not place Clements on injured reserve for the rest of the season in hopes of a possible late season or playoff return. He finished the
2009 season with 35 combined tackles (30 solo), seven passes defensed, and an interception in seven games and six starts.
2010
Head coach Mike Singletary retained Clements as the 49ers' No. 1 starting cornerback to start the season, alongside
Shawntae Spencer.
On September 26, 2010, Clements collected a season-high nine solo tackles in the 49ers' 31–10 loss at the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
. In Week 7, he collected a season-high tying nine combined tackles and a sack in a 23–20 loss at the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. On December 27, 2010, the San Francisco 49ers fired head coach Mike Singletary after the team fell to a 5–10 record. He finished the season with 82 combined tackles (72 solo), ten pass deflections, three interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.
2011
On July 28, 2011, the San Francisco 49ers released Clements.
Cincinnati Bengals
2011
On July 30, 2011, the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
signed Clements to a two-year, $10.5 million contract with $6 million guaranteed and a $2 million signing bonus.
![Nate Clements, Bengals training camp 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Nate_Clements%2C_Bengals_training_camp_2012.jpg)
Head coach
Marvin Lewis
Marvin Ronald Lewis (born September 23, 1958) is an American football coach who is the special advisor to the head coach at Arizona State. Previously, Lewis was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL) for 1 ...
named Clements and
Leon Hall
Leon Lastarza Hall (born December 9, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and earned consensus All-American honors. Hall was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first rou ...
the starting cornerbacks to start the 2011 regular season. In Week 9, he collected a season-high seven solo tackles during a 24–10 win at the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. On December 18, 2011, Clements tied his season-high of seven solo tackles and made a sack in the Bengals' 20–13 victory at the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
.
He finished the
2012 season with 55 combined tackles (49 solo), 12 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack in 15 games and 15 starts.
The
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
finished third in the
AFC North
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL s ...
with a 9–7 record, but clinched a wildcard berth as the sixth seed in the NFC. On January 7, 2011, Clements started in his first career playoff game and recorded three solo tackles and a pass deflection in the Bengals' 31–10 loss at the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
in the AFC Wildcard Game.
2012
Clements entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback, but saw competition from
Terence Newman
Terence Newman (born September 4, 1978) is a former American football cornerback. He played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Vikings. He played college football at Kansas State Wildc ...
,
Jason Allen,
Adam "Pacman" Jones, and
Dre Kirkpatrick
D'Andre Lawan "Dre" Kirkpatrick (born October 26, 1989) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at the University of Alabama and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2012 NF ...
. Clements was one of six cornerbacks on the Bengals' roster that were once heralded first round picks. Head coach Marvin Lewis officially named Clements and Hall the starting cornerbacks to begin 2012.
On September 23, 2012, Clements recorded a season-high ten combined tackles (five solo) during the Bengals' 38–31 win at the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. Clements was inactive for the Bengals' Week 4 victory at the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
due to an injury. Upon returning, Clements began to transition to strong safety after losing his starting cornerback job to Terence Newman during his absence.
He started five of the next six games before losing the role back to
Chris Crocker. He finished the season with 53 combined tackles (31 solo), five pass deflections, and an interception in 15 games and nine starts.
NFL career statistics
References
External links
San Francisco 49ers bio*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clements, Nate
1979 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Shaker Heights, Ohio
Players of American football from Ohio
African-American players of American football
American football cornerbacks
American football safeties
American football return specialists
Ohio State Buckeyes football players
Buffalo Bills players
San Francisco 49ers players
Cincinnati Bengals players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
Sportspeople from Cuyahoga County, Ohio
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American sportspeople