Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer wide receiver Michael Clayton will be in Tampa on Saturday promoting his self-published autobiography, Chasing My Rookie year: The Michael Clayton Story. The former 2004 No. 1 Draft Pick of the Bucs will host a signing and a meet-and-greet from noon-2 p.m. at the Sports Authority on 4900 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Chasing My Rookie Year illustrates Clayton's path to professional football from his high school days in Louisiana to helping the LSU Tigers win the NCAA title to his ups and downs in the NFL. Clayton, who last played with the New York Giants in 2011, was inspired to write the book after his mother-in-law, Gwendolyn Wright, recently battled through cancer.
"She inspired me because of the toughness she showed through it all," Clayton said. "She beat it and she helped me realize what a true battle was all about."
After being drafted by the Bucs with the 15th overall pick in 2004, Clayton had a promising rookie season, leading all first-year players with 80 receptions for 1,193 yards. Clayton also led the team with seven touchdowns.
Clayton seemed well on his path to success, but injuries derailed his career, thus the theme for his book.
"It's about going through the ups and downs in sports and in life," Clayton said. "It humbled me and made me start thinking about finding a purpose in life. I want to give back as much as I can with the voice I have. For a lot of professional football players, there is a difficult time transitioning from the game to life after. It's all a matter of turning pro mentally in life."
In the book, Clayton discusses his journey from the Bucs and playing in the UFL, before being signed by the New York Giants with whom he won a Super Bowl.
"I rep God boldly and my story has just begun," said Clayton, who has worked on his foundation, Michael Clayton Generation Next Foundation, since retiring after the 2012 season. "It's about being larger in life spiritually."
Besides his foundation, Clayton is involved with the NFL mentoring program designed to teach incoming players about dealing with life as a professional, the Football University camp for prep prospects, Tigers Athletes United mentoring program with former LSU and Giants teammate Corey West, and a podcast slated to start this week.
The podcast, through Pro football Central, launches March 26th with Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, and Jarvis Landry expected to appear.