More than a sprinter: Silverado’s Clayton goes from track prospect to football recruit

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, Dec. 25, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Devion Clayton didn’t catch a pass as a high school junior and mostly played defensive back.

But after switching schools, he flourished at wide receiver last fall for the Silverado football team in leading the Skyhawks to the Sunrise Regional semifinals. He finished with 43 catches for 741 yards and seven touchdowns, quickly becoming a Division I college prospect.

At 6 foot 3, 190 pounds Clayton has the measurables recruiters look for. And with a 10.65 second time in track’s 100 meters, he was usually the fastest player on the field.

That’s led to scholarship offers from the likes of Southern Utah, Montana State, Dixie State, Portland State and others. It also earned him a spot in the Blue-Gray All-American Bowlin mid-January in Jacksonville.

“I always thought of myself as a wide receiver,” Clayton said.

He transferred from Palo Verde, which employs a run-first offense out of the double-wing formation, and gives few chances for receivers.

Clayton’s lack of experience was obvious, especially early in the season. He’d often slip when running a route and was struggling to grasp the nuisances of the position.

But he had a good mentor helping him along the way. Former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham was Silverado’s first-year coach, giving Clayton plenty of one-on-one guidance.

“He knows so much,” Clayton said. “Him being a quarterback, he knows where the quarterback wants to throw the ball. He taught me how to run the right routes.”

Clayton is expected to compete this spring for the state championship in track’s 100 and 200 meter sprints, and he’s interested in continuing to run track in college. Because of the success in track, some thought he’d focus strictly on sprinting at the next level.

But, after this past season, he’s proven he can be a dual-sport athlete.

“The kid is going to have some (college) options,” Cunningham said. “For me, it was a no-brainer. He wasn’t a track-first kid, in my opinion. He was a football player.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21