HOUSTON (CBS HOUSTON) – Jadeveon Clowney is playing deep into the season after his rookie was interrupted and ended by injury, and he wants to make sure the dreaded rookie wall doesn’t get him.

“I didn’t play this long, I was outta here,” he said about the end to his 2014. “So I’m kinda trying to stay away from that rookie wall.”

He said sometimes he feels so tired getting ready for game but he said he needs to stay where he is and “keep your head in the game” to avoid falling off this season.

“I’m just taking advice from the coaches and learning the game plan and go out here and try to execute it every day in practice and try to execute it in the game (weekly.)”

Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel said Clowney is “making progress” but he still considered him a rookie.

He did mention that as Clowney learned more of the system he could use him more.

“He’s beginning to understand it better and that allows us to move people around,” said Crennel. “He’s making adjustments as far as that goes. Now is he perfect? No, he’s not perfect, but he knows enough that if he has to be inside he can go inside if he has to be outside he can go outside.

Clowney said he loved how the defense was playing right now and said he liked how he was used in the game plan but noted multiple times they were winning and that’s what mattered.

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