'He adds value': Javelinas' Craig Clemons becoming key part of A&M-Kingsville's resurgence
KINGSVILLE — Craig Clemons entered the Texas A&M-Kingsville football program the same semester head coach Mike Salinas took over.
Salinas’ message to Clemons was simple — he would receive an opportunity to play.
“I took that and ran with it,” Clemons said this week.
Clemons certainly has as the 3-0 Javelinas prepared for a key Lone Star Conference game against Eastern New Mexico as Clemons, a former star at West Oso, has become a key part of their special teams in the return game and is growing into a mainstay in the team’s offense as a receiver.
Through three games this season, Clemons has caught eight passes for 162 yards, including 103 yards on four catches in last week’s victory against West Texas A&M on the road.
“Craig is just continuing to develop physically and mentally,” Salinas said. “He’s become more comfortable in our system and has grown as a wide receiver in every facet of it, from his pass catching ability to his blocking ability. Craig adds value with what he does on special teams.”
Along with the typical adjustment to college football that included the realization that he was among the fastest players on the field, and not the fastest, Clemons had to adjust to the game through the COVID era.
Clemons, who played one season at Cisco Junior College, said when the pandemic shut down Texas A&M-Kingsville he returned home to Corpus Christi and said he had to rely on himself to complete his workouts and continue with his online classes.
“Now you have to rely on yourself to get back and stay composed and do the right thing,” Clemons said. “And just be responsible because you don’t have a coach to say, ‘Hey you have weights at this time.’ You have to do a lot of things on your own and I was able to grow a lot mentally, physically and emotionally in a lot of different areas.”
On the field, Clemons saw some action in the truncated spring season in 2021, but that same fall Clemons became arguably the team’s best returner.
He returned 21 kickoffs, averaging 22 yards a return while seeing limited action on offense as a receiver.
And as the 2022 season has progressed, Clemons has a simple philosophy and that’s to work hard and listen to coaches.
“Being behind a couple of guys, they were great and being able to learn from them and take a lot of things they are doing and make them better,” Clemons said. “I definitely grew a lot just listening to coaches as well and being a team player, listening and knowing what to do and what not to do in certain situations.”
Off the field, Clemons is on pace to graduate with a degree in communications and would like to eventually return to West Oso to teach and coach.
For now, though, the goal is to keep his head down and help the Javelinas continue their recent resurgence.
“Our main goal is to keep it going, keep our heads down and keep pounding the rock,” Clemons said, “And keep being the best we can be at all times.”
EASTERN NEW MEXICO AT TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Javelina Stadium, Kingsville
Records: Texas A&M-Kingsville 3-0, 1-0, Eastern New Mexico 1-2, 0-1
Last game: Texas A&M-Kingsville 31, West Texas A&M 24; Tarleton 41, Eastern New Mexico 6
How to watch/listen: How to watch/follow: https://lonestarconferencenetwork.com/tamuk and live stats at JavelinaAthletics.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: West Oso grad Craig Clemons finding stride for Javelinas football
