Rob Demovsky, ESPN Body of workers Scribbler
GREEN BAY, Wis. — He eats the similar factor each date. He just about received a Heisman Trophy. He received two Gray Cup championships within the Canadian Soccer League. He practiced legislation for 4 years ahead of two ancient figures, Lou Holtz and Mike Ditka, introduced him into the training global. His humorousness is drier than the Atacama Wilderness. And his spouse is a Hollywood internal fashion designer.
Negative, Tom Clements hasn’t ever been in a lager industrial, however quarterback Aaron Rodgers as soon as borrowed a sequence from a fictional persona in a type of advertisements when he stated: “He’s like the most interesting man in the world.”
Or no less than probably the most attention-grabbing guy at the Green Bay Packers‘ training workforce.
And Clements additionally holds this difference: He’s the one one that has immediately coached Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love.
At past 70, he’s in his 2nd stint as Packers quarterbacks lecturer, and date he got here again extreme season at Rodgers’ behest, his go back may have helped put Love on a route to success.
Clements’ historical past with Packers quarterbacks is going like this: He used to be Favre’s quarterbacks lecturer right through his ultimate two seasons in Inexperienced Bay (2006-07), labored with Rodgers as both his place lecturer or coordinator from 2008 to ’16 and nearest came out of retirement to rejoin him in 2022. He remained on workforce in 2023 to support Love transition to the settingup process.
When requested what introduced him again to Inexperienced Bay extreme spring, Clements deadpanned: “Delta.” As within the airline.
Some — together with Packers lecturer Matt LaFleur — questioned if Clements may fly out of the town when it changed into sunlit Rodgers can be traded to the Jets this generation offseason.
In lieu, he caught round to proceed his paintings with Love, whose improvements have the Packers (6-6) on a three-game profitable streak heading into the “Monday Night Football” 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: “At least through the Giants game.”
LaFleur hopes it’s for much longer.
“As far as I’m concerned, if he wants to come back, he can,” LaFleur stated in a up to date interview with ESPN. “I’d love to have him back. He’s a great person. He’s got great knowledge. He’s a great team guy. The quarterbacks all like him, and they believe in him. They believe he helps their game and gets them better.”
Clements’ job with every of the 3 Packers quarterbacks used to be other. When former Packers lecturer (now Dallas Cowboys lecturer) Mike McCarthy rented Clements to attach his first Inexperienced Bay workforce in 2006, Favre had thrown 29 interceptions in a 4-12 2005 season that ended Mike Sherman’s tenure as head lecturer.
Within the two years beneath McCarthy and Clements, Favre decreased his interceptions to 18 in 2006 and 15 in 2007, when the Packers reached the NFC Championship Sport. Clements didn’t effort to modify Favre’s basics. The ones have been ingrained in him.
“Brett would listen,” Clements stated in an interview with ESPN. “He was a coach’s son, so he would try to do it. If it worked for him, great. If it didn’t, then he would do it his way, which was understandable. With Brett, it was just trying to help him perform on Sundays.”
With Rodgers and Love, Clements began from the grassland up — somewhat actually when it got here to their footwork.
“I’ve always said if you watch a quarterback’s feet, you can make a good determination whether the throw’s going to be an accurate throw,” Clements stated. “Aaron was a perfectionist. He wanted to do it the way we wanted it done, so that’s how that worked.”
Clements didn’t have as a lot presen with Love, partially as a result of adjustments within the NFL’s offseason regulations restricted how a lot presen he needed to paintings with the quarterbacks.
“Jordan’s footwork is really what we’ve worked on, and I think he’s bought into what we’re trying to accomplish, and he’s improved in that aspect,” Clements stated. “So we’re working on that, and he’s improved in that area a lot.”
Neither LaFleur nor Love knew Clements individually ahead of extreme yr, however each knew of him on account of how ceaselessly Rodgers raved about him.
0:33
Fulgham: I be expecting Jordan Like to advance over vs. Giants
Tyler Fulgham explains why Jordan Love can supremacy the Packers to a win date additionally going over his passing yardage prop.
“Tom just understands the little things in the position and, so, every drill is working on one specific thing,” Rodgers stated extreme yr upon Clements’ go back to the Packers. “And it’s really how I was able to polish my fundamentals and learn how to throw in rhythm and throw on time and not make premeditated decisions — one of the quarterback mortal sins.”
When LaFleur had a gap on his workforce following the 2021 season, he questioned if Clements may well be . Clements used to be out of training following a two-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals (2019-20), when he labored with Kyler Murray right through the Negative. 1 pick out’s first two seasons.
So, date LaFleur used to be in Los Angeles for the NFL Honors match on the Tremendous Bowl, he met Clements at a cafe similar the place Clements lives and the place his spouse runs Clements Design. (Her shopper listing contains Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, Scooter and Yael Braun, Kris Jenner, Bruno Mars and Jennifer Lawrence, in keeping with Architectural Digest.)
Clements by no means concept he would lecturer once more next he left the Packers the primary presen. In 2015, McCarthy made Clements the offensive playcaller most effective to take the role back overdue in that season. Clements returned for yet another yr because the colleague head lecturer/offense ahead of he went away. He stated he attempted to get every other process following the 2016 season, however not anything materialized.
He returned to Los Angeles and started to paintings with a pal who had an actual property construction corporate. Two years next, then-Cardinals lecturer Kliff Kingsbury known as Clements on a advice from David Raih, who had labored with Clements in Inexperienced Bay and nearest joined the Cardinals’ workforce. Nearest two years in Arizona, the place he helped Murray grow to be Offensive Rookie of the Week in 2019 and a Professional Bowler in 2020, Clements concept he used to be finished.
If he concept he used to be retired next his first stint in Inexperienced Bay, nearest he used to be — as he put it — “retired, retired” next the Cardinals.
Clements by no means even noticed himself entering training within the first playground. Regardless of completing fourth within the 1974 Heisman Trophy vote as Notre Dame’s quarterback, he didn’t get any appears to be like from the NFL straight away. So he was at the CFL. Nearest 4 years in Canada, he were given a shot with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1980. He performed in a single match, finishing 7 of 12 passes for 77 yards in an early-season loss to the San Diego Chargers, and nearest returned to the CFL.
It used to be additionally in 1980 when he made up our minds to advance to legislation college part-time. He finished his legislation stage from Notre Dame in 1986, one yr ahead of his CFL enjoying profession ended.
Clements nearest labored for 4 years at a legislation company in Chicago that treated company legislation.
“The more I did it,” Clements stated, “the less I liked it.”
He nearest inquired a few soccer process at his alma mater, and likely plethora, Holtz rented him to lecturer quarterbacks. Nearest 4 years, he were given his shot at training within the NFL, because of Ditka, who had simply taken the New Orleans Saints process. The relationship there used to be with Clements’ spouse, Kathleen, who labored for Ditka’s charitable bedrock once they lived in Chicago.
“I just said, ‘If you ever get back in, I’d love to coach with you,'” Clements stated. “And he got back in, and he gave me a call, and the rest is history.”
Ultimately, he labored for the Chiefs, Steelers and Expenses ahead of he arrived in Inexperienced Bay with McCarthy.
“Tom’s probably one of the easiest and most intelligent coaches I’ve ever worked with,” McCarthy stated. “So consistent. Same guy every day. He eats the same thing every day.”
Wait, what?
Positive plethora, Clements showed as a lot — no less than for breakfast and lunch: “Some form of eggs — scrambled or fried — and bacon. Usually just a sandwich for lunch.”
“Tom is super, super consistent, and I think that serves well for any quarterback,” McCarthy stated. “I can’t speak on exactly what’s going on there right now, but I think it probably serves Jordan very well.”
Clements would by no means say whether or not he noticed this coming with Love — the surprising growth over the generation week that has many now believing he’s the long-term resolution at quarterback — as a result of with Clements it’s extra in regards to the procedure than the result.
“Tom is straight to the point,” Love stated. “He’s going to coach you, tell you exactly what you need to hear, coach you by the book. If you’re not doing it right, he’s going to tell you, this is exactly how you need to do it. Tom’s a laid-back guy. He’s going to stay by the book, and if you’re doing a good job, he’ll give you a handshake and tell you good job. But if you’re not doing it right, he’ll let you know as well.”
The ones unsatisfied with Rodgers for the way he treated his leaving from the Packers may wish to imagine he left them with a separation present in Clements that may support the franchise for every other decade-plus if Love continues in this stream trail.
“It’s not a secret; Tom knows what he’s doing,” Packers rookie spare quarterback Sean Clifford stated. “Alex [McGough, who’s on the practice squad] and I have talked about it all the time. I feel like I’m getting significantly better with Tom, and that’s just in practice and just off scout team stuff. So it’s awesome. It’s amazing to have him.
“I ruthless, take a look at [his résumé]: Brett Favre, one of the crucial perfect quarterbacks of all presen. Aaron Rodgers, nonetheless one of the crucial perfect quarterbacks of all presen. And Jordan Love enjoying at a top-quarterback-in-the-NFL degree at this time and most effective getting higher each month.”
