Clary Pushing Through More Adversity

By Jeff White (jwhite@virginia.edu)
VirginiaSports.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — He’s missed Virginia’s past three football games, yet still stands second on the team in tackles, with 48. He also has an interception, and his fumble recovery on Sept. 7 proved pivotal in the Cavaliers’ comeback win over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Imagine the impact safety Antonio Clary might be having this season had he not hurt his knee on Oct. 5 against Boston College.

“Clary was playing at a high level, his best football, in my opinion all-conference level, before the injury,” UVA head coach Tony Elliott said this week at the Hardie Center.

The good news for the Wahoos is that Clary, with a brace on his left knee, returned to practice last week and is expected to play Saturday night in Pittsburgh. At 8 o’clock, Virginia (4-4, 2-3) meets No. 23 Pitt (7-1, 3-1) at Acrisure Stadium in a game to air on ACC Network.

“I’m good,” Clary said. “It’s just really about getting back out there full speed.”

Clary enrolled at UVA in January 2019, which makes this his sixth season of college football. Talent has never been an issue for him, but injuries have marred his career. Still, he doesn’t waste time on self-pity.

“I know things like this happen, and you just gotta keep fighting through it,” Clary said. “At the end of day it’s really just trusting the process and knowing that adversity comes with it. It’s the game of football, it’s a physical game, you’re gonna get banged up a little bit, so it’s really just staying [committed] and working to get back out there.”

A pulled hamstring delayed his debut as a true freshman in 2019, and that season ended prematurely for Clary, who tore his ACL in his fifth game. After the pandemic hit in March 2020, he had to rehab away from the UVA medical staff, back home in Jacksonville, Fla., which slowed his progress.

After he was cleared to play again, in September 2020, Clary appeared in nine games that fall, with three starts. He started three of the 12 games in which he played in ‘21 and then became a full-time starter in ’22, when he played in eight games.

He was expected to be one of the defense’s leaders in 2023, but Clary spent the season on the sidelines after tearing ligaments in his ankle during training camp that August. When rest didn’t heal the injury, Clary underwent surgery, and another rehab period followed.

“Just going through different injuries and dealing with adversity, I would say you definitely appreciate the game a little bit more when you’re out there,” Clary said, “just because you never ever know when it’s going to be your time. And you never know when this game is going to be taken away from you, whether it’s long-term or short-term. So it definitely makes you appreciate every single moment you’re out there and playing every single snap like it’s your last.”

Clary worked hard to get ready for this season, Elliott said, and so to see No. 0 experience another setback was tough. During practice, Clary would often position himself at the back of the secondary, with the coaches, and share his wisdom with his teammates, “but it’s a little bit more challenging when you’re not necessarily on the field,” Elliott said. “It’s one thing when you can holler from the sideline and tell guys, but when you’re out there in the heat of battle you really can lead and elevate the play of those around you.

“For him, it’s bittersweet because I know that in the big picture, the grand scheme of things, this adversity is just going to continue to refine his character. He’s got so much more in store for him beyond the game of football. But it is tough to watch a competitor that’s completely sold out for the team, will do anything for his teammates, and a guy that’s worked extremely hard.”

Clary, 24, has two degrees from UVA: a bachelor’s in history and a master’s in educational psychology. His fellow safeties include Ethan Minter, a true freshman who tries to emulate Clary’s work ethic.

“He’s just like an older brother,” said Minter, who turned 19 this week. “From the moment I got here in January, he took me under his wing, taught me everything from the physical aspect to the mental aspect.”

Clary said he mentors Minter “all the time. It’s just like, ‘Even though you’re a freshman, go out there every single day like it’s your last day.’ And it shows on the field when he gets in games. He makes plays, and he always makes plays on the practice field as well. Ethan Minter is a perfect example of giving it 100 percent, even if you’re a freshman. I feel like the sky’s the limit for everyone out here, really, if you just give it your all and don’t take this for granted.”

To see Clary get hurt was tough, Minter said, “but he’s really battling. I want to see him succeed more than anyone.”

The Cavaliers are seeking their first win over Pitt since the 2019 season opener, when they prevailed 30-14 at what was then called Heinz Field. Virginia has dropped three straight games since defeating BC last month, but Clary believes the team’s self-belief remains strong.

“Obviously, when you win and everything it’s easier for people to be positive,” he said, “but that’s with any team and that’s in any sport, really. If you’re winning early on, everyone’s at the top of the mountain, you’re feeling good about yourself. Then you hit a wall and you lose three in a row. You’ve just got to look yourself in the mirror, and each individual has to look themselves in the mirror and find out why they truly play this game, their passion for the game. That’s where your beliefs come from, really. It’s just the passion you have for the game and your why.

“I don’t think any belief has wavered. Obviously it’s never fun to hit a wall, but you just got to keep grinding it out every single day, trust the process, and eventually you’re gonna overcome it. We’ve just gotta stick together. That’s what it’s about, just sticking together, being one unit, and just going through the process day by day and showing up Saturdays and putting our best foot forward.”

Clary’s athletic interests on Grounds extend beyond football. When Sam Brunelle played on the women’s basketball team at UVA, Clary co-hosted a podcast with her, and he’s been a regular at Memorial Gymnasium this fall. His girlfriend, second-year Lauryn Bowie, is standout on the Cavalier volleyball team.

“It’s cool just to go see other sports play,” Clary said, “and you see how committed they are to it. The time that Lauryn puts into the game of volleyball, it motivates me to keep pushing as well, because I see her pushing. Obviously, they’re different sports, but it’s cool to go over there and watch their matches every Friday and Sunday and be in their world for a little bit.”

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