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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Workers Author
GREEN BAY, Wis. — He eats the identical factor day by day. He practically gained a Heisman Trophy. He gained two Gray Cup championships within the Canadian Soccer League. He practiced regulation for 4 years earlier than two historic figures, Lou Holtz and Mike Ditka, introduced him into the teaching world. His humorousness is drier than the Atacama Desert. And his spouse is a Hollywood inside designer.
No, Tom Clements has by no means been in a beer business, however quarterback Aaron Rodgers as soon as borrowed a line from a fictional character in a type of advertisements when he mentioned: “He is like essentially the most attention-grabbing man on the planet.”
Or not less than essentially the most attention-grabbing man on the Inexperienced Bay Packers‘ teaching employees.
And Clements additionally holds this distinction: He’s the one one who has immediately coached Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love.
At age 70, he’s in his second stint as Packers quarterbacks coach, and whereas he got here again final season at Rodgers’ behest, his return might need helped put Love on a path to achievement.
Clements’ historical past with Packers quarterbacks goes like this: He was Favre’s quarterbacks coach throughout his remaining two seasons in Inexperienced Bay (2006-07), labored with Rodgers as both his place coach or coordinator from 2008 to ’16 after which got here out of retirement to rejoin him in 2022. He remained on employees in 2023 to assist Love transition to the beginning job.
When requested what introduced him again to Inexperienced Bay final spring, Clements deadpanned: “Delta.” As within the airline.
Some — together with Packers coach Matt LaFleur — puzzled if Clements would possibly fly out of city when it grew to become clear Rodgers can be traded to the Jets this previous offseason.
As an alternative, he caught round to proceed his work with Love, whose enhancements have the Packers (6-6) on a three-game profitable streak heading into the “Monday Night time Soccer” matchup on the New York Giants (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
When requested how for much longer he sees himself doing this, Clements went deadpan once more: “No less than by the Giants sport.”
LaFleur hopes it is for much longer.
“So far as I am involved, if he desires to come back again, he can,” LaFleur mentioned in a current interview with ESPN. “I would like to have him again. He is an excellent individual. He is acquired nice data. He is an excellent group man. The quarterbacks all like him, and so they consider in him. They consider he helps their sport and will get them higher.”
Clements’ process with every of the three Packers quarterbacks was totally different. When former Packers coach (now Dallas Cowboys coach) Mike McCarthy employed Clements to affix his first Inexperienced Bay employees in 2006, Favre had thrown 29 interceptions in a 4-12 2005 season that ended Mike Sherman’s tenure as head coach.
Within the two years below McCarthy and Clements, Favre diminished his interceptions to 18 in 2006 and 15 in 2007, when the Packers reached the NFC Championship Recreation. Clements did not attempt to change Favre’s fundamentals. These have been ingrained in him.
“Brett would hear,” Clements mentioned in an interview with ESPN. “He was a coach’s son, so he would attempt to do it. If it labored for him, nice. If it did not, then he would do it his means, which was comprehensible. With Brett, it was simply attempting to assist him carry out on Sundays.”
With Rodgers and Love, Clements began from the bottom up — fairly actually when it got here to their footwork.
“I’ve at all times mentioned when you watch a quarterback’s ft, you can also make willpower whether or not the throw’s going to be an correct throw,” Clements mentioned. “Aaron was a perfectionist. He wished to do it the way in which we wished it executed, in order that’s how that labored.”
Clements didn’t have as a lot time with Love, partly as a result of adjustments within the NFL’s offseason guidelines restricted how a lot time he needed to work with the quarterbacks.
“Jordan’s footwork is actually what we have labored on, and I feel he is purchased into what we’re attempting to perform, and he is improved in that side,” Clements mentioned. “So we’re engaged on that, and he is improved in that space lots.”
Neither LaFleur nor Love knew Clements personally earlier than final yr, however each knew of him due to how typically Rodgers raved about him.
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Fulgham: I anticipate Jordan Like to go over vs. Giants
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“Tom simply understands the little issues within the place and, so, each drill is engaged on one particular factor,” Rodgers mentioned final yr upon Clements’ return to the Packers. “And it is actually how I used to be capable of polish my fundamentals and discover ways to throw in rhythm and throw on time and never make premeditated choices — one of many quarterback mortal sins.”
When LaFleur had a gap on his employees following the 2021 season, he puzzled if Clements may be . Clements was out of teaching following a two-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals (2019-20), when he labored with Kyler Murray through the No. 1 choose’s first two seasons.
So, whereas LaFleur was in Los Angeles for the NFL Honors occasion on the Tremendous Bowl, he met Clements at a restaurant close to the place Clements lives and the place his spouse runs Clements Design. (Her consumer record consists of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, Scooter and Yael Braun, Kris Jenner, Bruno Mars and Jennifer Lawrence, in line with Architectural Digest.)
Clements by no means thought he would coach once more after he left the Packers the primary time. In 2015, McCarthy made Clements the offensive playcaller solely to take the function again late in that season. Clements returned for yet one more yr because the affiliate head coach/offense earlier than he walked away. He mentioned he tried to get one other job following the 2016 season, however nothing materialized.
He returned to Los Angeles and started to work with a buddy who had an actual property improvement firm. Two years later, then-Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury referred to as Clements on a advice from David Raih, who had labored with Clements in Inexperienced Bay after which joined the Cardinals’ employees. After two years in Arizona, the place he helped Murray turn into Offensive Rookie of the 12 months in 2019 and a Professional Bowler in 2020, Clements thought he was executed.
If he thought he was retired after his first stint in Inexperienced Bay, then he was — as he put it — “retired, retired” after the Cardinals.
Clements by no means even noticed himself entering into teaching within the first place. Regardless of ending fourth within the 1974 Heisman Trophy vote as Notre Dame’s quarterback, he did not get any appears from the NFL instantly. So he went to the CFL. After 4 years in Canada, he acquired a shot with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in 1980. He performed in a single sport, finishing 7 of 12 passes for 77 yards in an early-season loss to the San Diego Chargers, after which returned to the CFL.
It was additionally in 1980 when he determined to go to regulation faculty part-time. He accomplished his regulation diploma from Notre Dame in 1986, one yr earlier than his CFL taking part in profession ended.
Clements then labored for 4 years at a regulation agency in Chicago that dealt with company regulation.
“The extra I did it,” Clements mentioned, “the much less I preferred it.”
He then inquired a couple of soccer job at his alma mater, and positive sufficient, Holtz employed him to teach quarterbacks. After 4 years, he acquired his shot at teaching within the NFL, because of Ditka, who had simply taken the New Orleans Saints job. The connection there was with Clements’ spouse, Kathleen, who labored for Ditka’s charitable basis after they lived in Chicago.
“I simply mentioned, ‘Should you ever get again in, I would love to teach with you,'” Clements mentioned. “And he acquired again in, and he gave me a name, and the remainder is historical past.”
Finally, he labored for the Chiefs, Steelers and Payments earlier than he arrived in Inexperienced Bay with McCarthy.
“Tom’s in all probability one of many best and most clever coaches I’ve ever labored with,” McCarthy mentioned. “So constant. Identical man day by day. He eats the identical factor day by day.”
Wait, what?
Positive sufficient, Clements confirmed as a lot — not less than for breakfast and lunch: “Some type of eggs — scrambled or fried — and bacon. Often only a sandwich for lunch.”
“Tom is tremendous, tremendous constant, and I feel that serves properly for any quarterback,” McCarthy mentioned. “I can not converse on precisely what is going on on there proper now, however I feel it in all probability serves Jordan very properly.”
Clements would by no means say whether or not he noticed this coming with Love — the sudden enchancment over the previous month that has many now believing he’s the long-term reply at quarterback — as a result of with Clements it’s extra in regards to the course of than the tip end result.
“Tom is straight to the purpose,” Love mentioned. “He’ll coach you, inform you precisely what it’s essential to hear, coach you by the e book. Should you’re not doing it proper, he’ll inform you, that is precisely how it’s essential to do it. Tom’s a laid-back man. He’ll keep by the e book, and when you’re doing job, he’ll offer you a handshake and inform you good job. However when you’re not doing it proper, he’ll let you already know as properly.”
These sad with Rodgers for the way he dealt with his departure from the Packers would possibly need to contemplate he left them with a parting reward in Clements that may assist the franchise for one more decade-plus if Love continues on this present path.
“It is not a secret; Tom is aware of what he is doing,” Packers rookie backup quarterback Sean Clifford mentioned. “Alex [McGough, who’s on the practice squad] and I’ve talked about it on a regular basis. I really feel like I am getting considerably higher with Tom, and that is simply in observe and simply off scout group stuff. So it is superior. It is wonderful to have him.
“I imply, have a look at [his résumé]: Brett Favre, top-of-the-line quarterbacks of all time. Aaron Rodgers, nonetheless top-of-the-line quarterbacks of all time. And Jordan Love taking part in at a top-quarterback-in-the-NFL stage proper now and solely getting higher each week.”
