Athletes - Chad Clifton

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	Athletes - Chad Clifton

Jeffrey Chad Clifton (born June 26, 1976 in Martin, Tennessee) is an American football Offensive Tackle who currently plays for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL.

High School career

At Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee, Clifton was an all-around athlete. He lettered four times in football, starting his last three seasons as a two-way player. As a senior, he was named an All-American. In addition to football, Clifton played on the school's basketball team.

College career

In 1995, Clifton enrolled at the University of Tennessee and redshirted his first year. From then on he was a fixture on the offensive line - starting one season at Right Tackle and three at Left Tackle. During these four years, the Volunteers enjoyed great success with a 43-7 record and a win in the Fiesta Bowl following the 1998 regular season to claim the National Championship. Clifton was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection and a second-team All-American his senior season, during which he was also a team captain.

Professional career

During the 2000 NFL Draft, the Packers selected Clifton in the second round with the 44th overall choice.

Halfway through his rookie season, he took over the starting Left Tackle position and did not relinquish it thereafter. He enjoyed continue success during his second season when he established a reputation as one of the NFL's best and unheralded blindside blockers.

Clifton's 2002 season seemed as promising as his first two until November 24 when he suffered a severe pelvic injury after receiving a vicious blind hit from the Tampa Bay Bucs Defensive Tackle Warren Sapp. Because the incident occurred after an interception when Clifton was far away from the play, Sapp was condemned widely for his action. Infamously, Sapp got into a profanity-laced argument with Packers coach Mike Sherman after the game that was caught on camera. As a result of the injury, Clifton missed the rest of the season. It was so serious that he was hospitalized for almost a week and could not walk unaided for five more.

Despite doubts concerning whether he would be able to continue his career, Clifton returned in 2003 to start all 16 regular season games and two more in the playoffs. He played all 1,031 offensive snaps that season and contributed in establishing a team record for fewest sacks allowed in a season - 19.

In his five-year career (through 2004), Clifton has played in 69 regular season games, starting 64 of them. He is regarded as a very good and consistent, but oddly unrecognized player. He was one of the many unheralded players on the Green Bay offensive line that achieved so much success from 2000 to 2004.

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