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MADISON, Wis. – With starting kick returner Natrell Jamerson sidelined at least four to six weeks with a leg injury, a couple of different players will have to step up and fill in for the junior nickel back. And for the time being one of them appears to be senior running back Corey Clement, who is now listed as Wisconsin’s first-team kick returner on the team’s updated depth chart.
Clement’s importance to the first team offense as the lead running back might scare off some coaches from using him in the return game, in part because giving him extra snaps on special teams could increase his chances of getting injured. But Clement and the coaching staff are choosing to look at what he can bring to the table on special teams, instead of worrying about what could happen if something were to go wrong.
Clement, who is dealing with a minor ankle injury he suffered last week against Akron, said after practice on Tuesday that, assuming he’s healthy, he wants a chance to help the team in the return game in addition to his role in the first team offense.
“I would like to be out there and just play as normal,” Clement said Tuesday. “That is, I was second on the depth chart (at kick returner) and I’m up right now, so I don’t plan to change anything at all. If I plan to play this week, that’s what I plan to do as far as kick returns (go) as well.”
Clement was a limited participant in practice on Tuesday and expects to gradually increase his workload as the week moves along. And some coaches or other running backs would be skittish about adding extra snaps to their workload, Clement didn’t seem to have any concerns about taking on some extra responsibilities.
“There’s a risk (on) every play, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams,” Clement said. “If you’re looking at it from a point in thinking that one of your so-to-speak ‘star players’ is going to get hurt, that’s not a way to approach it. It’s going out and having fun and playing a sport. Injuries come and go, so I don’t think special teams is any different.”
Clement has not returned a kick in a game for the Badgers since joining the team in 2013, but he has been fielding kickoffs and punts for the last few months in practice. He also said returned kicks back in high school, so the job is far from a new concept to him.
Head coach Paul Chryst has not shied away from using starters on kickoff returns during his time as a head coach, either. The Panthers used starting cornerback Lafayette Pitts on kickoff returns in 2012 and 2013, and eventually wide receiver Tyler Boyd eased into the role as a freshman, even as he became a bigger part of Pitt’s offense.
So while it might be a bit of an adjustment for Badgers fans to see a key cog of their offense returning kicks, the Badgers seem willing to give Clement a shot at taking the job and running with it.
Should the Badgers use Clement on kickoff returns? Discuss in the Badger's Den.
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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.
