Background and career
Nathan D. Clements (born December 12, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft with the 21st overall pick, and also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals.
Clements was born to Nathan Clements Sr. and Emma Clements in Shaker Heights, Ohio and graduated from Shaker Heights High School. Nate's father was strict and did not allow Nate to date while in high school. Clements excelled at both defensive back and quarterback and was named an All-American by USA Today, Blue Chip Illustrated and Super Prep. Clements was also named first-team All-Ohio during a season in which he had seven interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He also returned two kicks for touchdowns. Clements led the Raiders to a playoff berth in 1997 and led them past a Euclid Panther team that featured Notre Dame back Tony Fisher. Clements also holds the Shaker record for career interceptions with 14. The school retired his number 20 jersey in 2005.
Clements attended Ohio State University. Clements started 24 of 36 games and recorded 177 career tackles and seven interceptions. As a junior, he intercepted four passes and racked up 470 yards returning punts, with an average of 13.1 yards per return. In 2000 he was an All-Big Ten Conference first-team choice. After his junior year Clements decided to forgo his senior season and declared himself eligible for the NFL draft. He majored in general studies.
Clements declared for the 2001 NFL draft and was regarded as one of the top prospects. Prior to his junior season, Clements was ranked as the second best cornerback in the upcoming draft by NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. and was also ranked as the 23rd overall prospect regardless of position by Mel Kiper Jr. He attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, but opted to only perform the bench press and 40-yard dash. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Clements was projected to be a first round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the top cornerback prospect by DraftScout.com.
The Buffalo Bills selected Clements in the first round (21st overall) of the 2001 NFL draft. Clements was the first cornerback drafted in 2001.
On July 27, 2001, the Buffalo Bills signed Clements to a five-year, $6.70 million contract that includes $3.17 million guaranteed. Throughout training camp, Clements competed to be a starting cornerback against Lance Brown, Ken Irvin, and Jimmy Williams. Head coach Gregg Williams named Clements the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the regular season, behind Antoine Winfield and Ken Irvin. He was also named the starting kick returner to begin his rookie season. He made his professional regular season debut in the Buffalo Bills' season-opener against the New Orleans Saints and recorded one solo tackle in their 24–6 loss. On September 23, 2001, Clements made one tackle, deflected a pass, and returned his first career interception for a touchdown during their 42–26 loss at the Indianapolis Colts. He intercepted a pass by quarterback Peyton Manning and returned it for a 61-yard touchdown in the third quarter to mark the first score of his career. On October 18, 2001, Clements earned his first career start after he surpassed Ken Irvin on the depth chart. He recorded three solo tackles and broke up a pass in the Bills' 13–10 win at the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. In Week 8, Clements collected three combined tackles, deflected a pass, and returned a punt for a 66-yard touchdown during the second quarter of a 30–24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. In Week 14, he collected three combined tackles and made his first career sack on quarterback Tom Brady during a 12–9 loss at the New England Patriots. On December 23, 2001, Clements collected a season-high 11 solo tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Michael Vick in the Bills' 33–30 loss at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. He completed his rookie season in 2001 with 63 combined tackles (53 solo), ten pass deflections, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, a sack, and a touchdown in 16 games and 11 starts. He also had 30 kick returns for 628-yards and four punt returns for 81-yards and a touchdown.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
