Clinton Portis

Position: Running Back
College: Miami (Fla.)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 204
Hometown: Gainesville, Fla.
Selection: Round 2 (51)
SCOUTING REPORT

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Powerfully built outside runner with sudden moves turning the corner...Cradles the ball securely and has the leg drive to drag defenders for extra yardage...Effective short area receiver who is adept at picking up the blitz...Has elusive moves through the holes, displaying the vision to consistently pick the right rush lanes and the lateral agility to get into second gear quickly turning the corner...Runs at a low pad level with impressive in-line balance...One of college football's most underrated performers, Clinton quietly provided a crucial component in Miami's offensive success during the 2001 season...A player who proved he can carry the offense, he turned into one of college football's premier game-breakers...Showed the ability to be both a power runner and a long-distance threat...Finished his career with 440 carries for 2523 yards (5.7 avg.) and 20 touchdowns...Only Edgerrin James (2960, 1996-98) and Ottis Anderson (3331, 1975-78) gained more yards rushing in a career at Miami...His 14 100-yard performances tied James' Miami career-record.

2001 SEASON
First-Team All-Big East Conference choice by the league's coaches...Third-team All-American selection by the Associated Press...Took over tailback duties, rushing for 1200 yards on 220 carries (5.5 avg.) and ten touchdowns, becoming only the fifth player in school history to gain over 1000 yards on the ground in a season...Only Edgerrin James (1416 in 1998) and Ottis Anderson (1266 in 1978) gained more yards in a season for the Hurricanes...Caught 12 passes for 125 yards (10.4 avg.) and a score...His 10 touchdowns rushing and 11 total scores rank seventh on the school's season-record list...His eight 100-yard performances tied the school record first set by Anderson in 1978...Averaged 120.5 all-purpose yards per game.

Penn State...Averaged 9.6 yards per carry as he totaled 164 yards on 17 carries.
Rutgers...Had 14 rushes for 51 yards and a 3-yard score.
Pittsburgh...Gained 131 yards on 24 attempts with touchdowns of 1, 1 & 4 yards.
Florida State...Carried 17 times for 122 yards.
West Virginia...Scored on a 4-yard run as he totaled 76 yards on 21 carries.
Temple...Followed with a 7-yard touchdown among his 20 runs for 117 yards.
Boston College...Gained 160 yards on 36 attempts.
Syracuse...Rushed 18 times for 132 yards and a 15-yard touchdown.
Washington...Added 12 runs for 105 yards with scores of 7 & 30 yards, adding another touchdown on a 5-yard reception.
Virginia Tech...Closed out the regular season with his fifth-straight 100-yard game, as he picked up 124 yards on 34 tries, including a 7-yard touchdown.
Nebraska (Rose Bowl)...Guided the Hurricanes to the national title as he carried 20 times for 104 yards with a 39-yard touchdown and caught 4 passes for 26 yards.

2000 SEASON
Provided the Hurricanes with a great change of pace in a reserve role behind starting tailback James Jackson...Rushed for 485 yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries (6.3 avg.) in eight games...Added 103 yards on five receptions (20.6 avg.).

McNeese State...Opened the season with 9 runs for 133 yards and an 82-yard touchdown...The 82-yarder was the fifth-longest run from scrimmage in school history and the longest since an 85-yard scamper by Donyell Ferguson vs. Boston College in 1995.
Washington...Gained 91 yards on 6 runs and 59 yards on a reception.
West Virginia...Caught 2 passes for 20 yards and ran for a 17-yard touchdown.
Louisiana Tech...Carried 14 times for 86 yards.
Syracuse...Gained 50 yards on 12 attempts and 24 yards on a pair of receptions.
Boston College...Had 58 yards on 11 carries.
Florida (Sugar Bowl)...Rushed 18 times for 97 yards, including a game-clinching 35-yard run, in Miami's 37-20 win...Took over for the injured James Jackson to rush for 94 yards of his total in the second half against the Gators, including a 66-yard output in the game's final quarter.

1999 SEASON
Freshman All-American selection by The Sporting News...Became just the second true freshman to start at running back since the 1975 season...Became an integral part of the offense following Najeh Davenport's season-ending injury in the Kickoff Classic and injuries to James Jackson...Set a school season-record for freshman with five 100-yard performances...Led the team with 838 yards and eight touchdowns on 143 carries (5.9 avg.) in ten games...Caught four passes for 44 yards (11.0 avg.) and a pair of scores...Also recovered a fumble.

Florida A&M...Made his collegiate debut with 1 & 2-yard touchdowns.
East Carolina...Had his first 100-yard game as he totaled 147 yards on 27 carries with a 4-yard touchdown.
West Virginia...Rushed 17 times for 104 yards and a 1-yard score, adding another touchdown on a 9-yard reception.
Pittsburgh...Gained 131 yards with a 34-yard touchdown on 20 attempts.
Virginia Tech...Followed with 27 rushes for 139 yards.
Rutgers...Had his fourth-straight 100-yard game as he carried 17 times for 133 yards and a 3-yard touchdown.
Syracuse...Tallied 98 yards on 15 tries, including a 3-yard touchdown.
Temple...Rushed 8 times for 61 yards with a 38-yard score and had a 22-yard touchdown catch.
Georgia Tech (Gator Bowl)...Carried 12 times for 117 yards and set a school post-season record with a 73-yard touchdown jaunt.

AGILITY TESTS
4.42 in the 40-yard dash...39-inch vertical jump...31 1/8-inch arm length...8 1Ú4-inch hands.

HIGH SCHOOL
USA Today Honorable Mention All-American at Gainesville (Fla.) High...Named the No. 10 running back in the SEC Region by PrepStar...Florida's #4 tailback on Florida Times-Union Super 75...No. 39 on Tampa Tribune Florida top 50...Tampa Tribune Blue Chip selection...Super Prep All-SEC Region Honorable Mention and No. 27 player in Florida...First-team All-State, All-Region and All-Area selection...Gainesville Sun Player of the Year...Three-year starter...Set a school record rushing for 2036 yards as a senior...Average 8.0 yards per carry and scored 26 touchdowns...Also saw action at defensive back where he had 79 tackles and two interceptions...On the defensive side of the ball, he added 54 solo tackles, 33 assists, three sacks and five tackles for loss...also timed at 10.6 in the 100 meters...Member of the varsity track team...Part of the state record 4x100-meter relay (40.8) and state champion 4x400-meter relay...Records include 6-6 in the high jump and 22-8 in the long jump.

PERSONAL
Business major...Son of Rhonnel Y. Hearn and Clint Portis...Born Clinton Earl Portis on 9/01/81...Resides in Gainesville, Florida.

Clinton Portis
SELECTED BY DENVER , ROUND 2, PICK 19, OVERALL PICK 51                            MORE INFO
RB | (5-10, 204, 4.43) | MIAMI (FLA.) | COLLEGE STATS
By Pro Football Weekly

Notes: Track and football star in high school. Came to Miami (Fla.) in part because the team agreed to give him a shot at running back, while most schools wanted this great, two-way high school star as a cornerback. Portis showed he could play running back as a true freshman in 1999, when as a result of injuries to James Jackson and Najeh Davenport, he got to start five of the 10 games in which he played and carried for a team-best 838 yards and eight touchdowns on 143 carries. Also caught four passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Did not start in 2000 with the other backs healthy and missed three games with a midseason foot injury. Ended the year carrying 77 times for 485 yards and two touchdowns and catching five passes for 103 yards. Became the team's top back in 2001 and responded by carrying 220-1,200-10 and catching 12-125-1.

Positives: Tough, hard-nosed runner who will not go down without a fight and will really work to finish his runs. Plays much bigger and stronger than his size and has excellent power in his lower body and hips. Has quick feet, excellent balance and speed and very good run vision. Has a quick, explosive burst of speed and is elusive enough to make the first man miss. Has always produced.

Negatives: Lacks great size. Runs hard and takes a pounding and is not that big. Is not a really elusive runner and does not break a lot of long runs despite his speed. Has not been used that much as a receiver, and while he catches the ball, he does not have natural hands.

Summary: Tough, hard-nosed, productive back who gets the most out his talent. Should be one of the top backs in the draft.