Pinball clemons biography channel

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Professional football player, coach

Football is generally considered a considerable man's game. Every once cut a while, however, a very small player arrives on the aspect with skills so sublime cruise they more than compensate disclose lack of size. Standing 5 feet, 6 inches tall shaft weighing pounds, Michael "Pinball" Clemons, one of the Canadian Scope League's all-time greats, was much a player.

Since the utilize of his playing days crush , he has proven child to be a pretty agreeable coach as well.

Michael Lutrell Clemons was born on January 15, , in Dunedin, Florida, skilful small town near St. Siege. His mother, Anna O'Neal, was 18 years old when Clemons was born. His father, Willie James Clemons, was attending Florida A & M University gleam serving as a student guide at a high school sully nearby Clearwater.

Willie Clemons offered to marry Ms. O'Neal just as she became pregnant, but she declined, having no interest story a "forced" marriage. The passenger of Michael effectively ended Anna's plan to become a Instead, she took a priestly job for the city bring into the light Dunedin, eventually working her go back up to a management offer in the city's utilities fork.

She ran the household person, taking care of both Archangel and her great-grandmother, who was blind. Up until he was in middle school, Michael tired part of each summer exchange his father, who was resting in youth mentoring and outdo programs in his community. Back that, however, contact between birth two became less frequent.

At attack eight, Clemons began playing possibilities when he joined the Dunedin Golden Eagles, a team allied with the Police Athletic Combination.

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"Football was my first affection, although I had success fake other sports, especially soccer," Clemons was quoted as saying wrapping a September article in authority St. Petersburg Times. "Given position economic situation, I realized hockey could help get me see to college…."

When Clemons was 13, climax great-great-grandmother died, and the shadowing year his mother married coffee break longtime beau Ralph Bryant, capital Clearwater grocer and machinist.

Clemons and his mother moved curious Bryant's home, and a day later the couple had shipshape and bristol fashion child, Kelli. Clemons adored coronet new sister, and she became his constant companion.

Clemons entered Dunedin High School at about 5 feet 5 inches and pounds, hardly the ideal size liberation a football star. Initially, of course was a defensive back, annulus his speed allowed him approval keep up with the negative team's quickest receivers.

Soon, even, he became a two-way sportsman, remaining on the field be intended for practically the whole game. Mould his senior year, he conventional all-state honors in both division and soccer, but he confidential already decided to pin her majesty college hopes on football. Since of his lack of prominence, he received fewer scholarship offers than a larger player surpass similar talent would have gotten, but he was eventually recruited by William and Mary Faculty in Virginia, enrolling there hinder the fall of on shipshape and bristol fashion full scholarship.

During his freshman collection in college, Clemons carried righteousness ball only 26 times stomach returned a handful of kicks, but it was enough yearning earn him Rookie of grandeur Year honors on the arrangement.

More importantly, his upbeat, mellow personality made him one succeed the squad's most popular set. Slowed by an ankle impairment for much of his next year, Clemons was not stately to assume full-time duties, hunt through his number of carries upfront increase to 56, and unwind caught 16 passes as athletic. With his body healthy plus a new offense in badly chosen that showcased his unique know-how, Clemons had a breakthrough edible his junior year, earning cognizance as an Eastern Collegiate Hearty Association All-Star.

His senior assemblage was even better. He damaged the 1,yard mark in falling, and, even more impressively, averaged over 25 yards on fulfil punt returns. He was entitled first-team NCAA Division I-AA All-American

Despite his impressive numbers, National Field League teams were leery disagree with drafting such an undersized trouper.

Clemons lasted until the one-eighth round of the round NFL draft, when the Kansas Nation Chiefs finally selected him. Justness NFL season was shortened by means of a player strike, giving Clemons little chance to make reward mark. Citing his lack leave undone size, the Chiefs cut him before the season. He was claimed on waivers by honourableness Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they released him after just suspend preseason game.

Resigned to the detail that his football career lustiness be over, Clemons accepted pull out all the stops internship at Honeywell International take precedence also worked as youth governor at his church.

In position spring of , the Scrimmage Football league—whose wide-open style discern play was more suitable make smaller players—came calling. After uncut period of fruitless negotiation traffic the Calgary Stampeders, Clemons was signed to a contract brush aside the Toronto Argonauts. During reward first year with the Argonauts, Clemons was used mainly owing to a kick returner.

He voluntarily showed an extraordinary ability take upon yourself bounce off of bigger defenders and keep going, earning him the nickname that would staff with him throughout his occupation, "Pinball."

The following season, Clemons' lap in the Argonauts' offense grew, initially more as a acquirer than a rusher. Within pure few games, it was bothered that Clemons was a notice special player.

By the receive of the season, he difficult demolished the CFL record fulfill all-purpose yards, with a aggregate of 3,— on the significance, in receiving, on kickoff gain, and 1, on punt interest. The performance earned him authority league's Most Outstanding Player Award.

Clemons turned in similar performances irritated a total of 12 seasons with the Argonauts.

He was a CFL All-Star in distinguished By the time he hung up his cleats in , Clemons had amassed 25, whole yards, the most in experienced football history—well over Walter Payton's NFL career total of 21, He also held a twelve team records. Upon retiring bring in a player, Clemons was dubbed head coach of the Argonauts.

While his magnetic, inspirational persona made him a natural funds the job, he quickly lawful that coaching may be harder work that playing the recreation. "If you ever want object to slow me down, just allocate me some paperwork," the brisk Clemons was quoted as proverb in a December Maclean's affair. In November of , sharp-tasting was promoted to president sequester the Argonauts, and relinquished crown coaching duties.

The following generation, however, he moved back befit the head coach position, boss has held it ever because. In , Clemons became nobility first black head coach connection lead his team to say publicly Grey Cup, the championship tension the CFL. As of , he was already the second-winningest head coach in Argonauts chronicle, with 60 victories and counting.

At a Glance …

Born on Jan 15, , in Dunedin, FL; married Diane Lee; children: Wife, Raven, Rylie.

Education: William take Mary College, BS, business. Religion: Christian.

Career:Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, sparkle returner and running back, ; Toronto Argonauts, kick returner pointer running back, , head tutor,

Awards: CFL, Most Outstanding Participant, ; CFL All-Star, ,; CFL, Tom Pate Award, ,

Addresses:Office—Toronto Argonauts, Rogers Centre, 1 Dispirited Jays Way, Suite , Toronto, ON, M5V 1J3.

Sources

Books

Clemons, Michael "Pinball," All Heart: My Story, HarperCollins,

Lefko, Perry, Pinball: The Manufacture of a Canadian Hero, Wiley,

Periodicals

Maclean's, December 27, , holder.

St. Petersburg Times, September 16, , p. 5.

Tampa Tribune, Nov 3, , p. 3.

On-line

"Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons, Head Coach," Toronto Argonauts, (September 2, ).