Clowney cleared from concussion

HOUSTON -- Texans rookie pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney suffered a concussion from a helmet-to-helmet hit on Aug. 20 but is healthy and ready to play in Houston's season opener Sunday against Washington.

Clowney went through the concussion protocol and didn't play in the team's final two preseason games. He sustained the injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit with Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme during one of the teams' joint practices in Colorado. Clowney left practice immediately but did not immediately receive treatment. He said his recovery took somewhere between a week and two weeks.

Clowney was the Texans' first overall pick this past May and started in the Texans' preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. He had some nerves then but says those have subsided.

"Knowing what to do, knowing who I'm going against, who I'm facing" helped erase the nerves, Clowney said. "So I'm not really nervous, just ready to go into it."