West Virginia WR Clement takes advantage of opportunity, looks for more
One game can change your life.
That’s exactly what happened with Hudson Clement when he was thrust into the starting lineup against Duquesne last season as Devin Carter was dealing with an injury.
It was something the Martinsburg native found out mere minutes from kickoff but didn’t let that opportunity pass him by turning 50 snaps into five catches into 177 yards and 3 touchdowns. Not bad company at all considering that’s a feat that had only been done by two other players in program history in Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin.
After the game, Clement was immediately awarded a scholarship offer by the Mountaineers and then became a regular fixture in the wide receiver rotation for the rest of the year. He would finish his redshirt freshman season with 22 catches for 480 yards and 4 scores.
“The greatest day of my life. That was life-changing. I was a walk-on, nobody really knew my name. I got an opportunity, and it was life-changing,” he said.
The former West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year, Clement put together a historic season with 87 catches for 1,709 yards and 23 touchdowns but elected to walk on at West Virginia. He knew that it wasn’t going to be easy but took the challenge head-on and waited for his chance to showcase what he could do.
Confidence was never an issue for Clement, who always believed that he could play at the highest level.
“Put your head down and work, there’s really no cheat code to it. I got blessed with a great opportunity and performed but you’ve got to be ready when your number is called,” he said. “You’re working for the unknown.”
Clement credits wide receiver coach Bilal Marshall for helping him develop his craft and helping him continue to develop once he got to the college level. He has made jumps with his route running as well as his confidence in the offense to allow him to play faster without thinking.
He also believes that working with Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Joseph in the winter has allowed him to increase his speed by focusing on running form and how to run. It sounds simple enough, but there’s definitely a science behind it and his strong testing numbers support that this off-season.
“I credit him for how fast I’ve gotten and how fast I’m going to get,” he said.
It’s not just speed either as Clement also has gotten stronger and shown the ability to break tackles at a high clip which he displayed at times last year after the catch.
But now, with Clement a key part of the wide receiver room he is looking to take an even bigger step forward in his second full year on the field. Part of that has been developing an even better relationship with quarterback Garrett Greene and communicating what they see on the field during each play.
“I had a great season last year, but I can’t plateau. We’re on a constant rise upwards,” he said. “Next year I should be a lot better than I was this year.”
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