Age: 23
2nd
season in pro football & with Dolphins
College: Louisville
Height: 5’9” Weight: 172
Prelude:
Clayton
caught 96 passes for 2004 yards and 10 touchdowns in college (20.9) avg.,
including 53 for 1112 yards (21.0 avg.) and six TDs as a senior in 1982. He was
chosen by the Dolphins in the eighth round of the ’83 NFL draft and saw little
action on offense as a rookie, with six catches for 114 yards and a TD, although he returned 41 punts for a 9.6-yard average and included a touchdown. Clayton replaced
the aging Nat Moore in the starting lineup across from WR Mark Duper in 1984.
1984 Season Summary
Appeared in 15 of 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 73
[10]
Most
receptions, game – 9 (for 177 yds.) vs. LA Raiders 12/2, (for 127 yds.) at Indianapolis
12/9
Yards – 1389
[3]
Most yards,
game – 177 (on 9 catches) vs. LA Raiders 12/2
Average gain
– 19.0 [6]
TDs – 18 [1]
100-yard
receiving games – 6
Rushing
Attempts – 3
Yards – 35
Average gain
– 11.7
TDs – 0
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 2
Yards – 15
Average per
return – 7.5
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 14 yards
Punt Returns
Returns – 8
Yards – 79
Average per
return – 9.9
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 22 yards
Passing
Pass attempts
– 1
Pass
completions – 0
Passing
yardage – 0
TD passes – 0
Interceptions
– 1
Scoring
TDs – 18 [1,
tied with Marcus Allen]
Points – 108 [8,
tied with Marcus Allen & Tony Franklin]
Postseason: 3 G
Pass
receptions – 15
Most pass
receptions, game – 6 vs. San Francisco, Super Bowl
Pass
receiving yards – 262
Most pass
receiving yards, game – 95 vs. Pittsburgh, AFC Championship
Average yards
per reception – 17.5
Pass
Receiving TDs – 2
Awards & Honors:
2nd
team All-NFL: AP
1st
team All-AFC: Pro Football Weekly
2nd
team All-AFC: UPI
Pro Bowl
Dolphins went
14-2 to finish first in the AFC East with the conference’s best record and led
the NFL in total yards (6936), passing yards (5018), passing TDs (49),
touchdowns (70), and scoring (513 points). Won AFC Divisional playoff over
Seattle Seahawks (31-10) & AFC Championship over Pittsburgh Steelers
(45-28). Lost Super Bowl to San Francisco 49ers (38-16).
Aftermath:
Having set a
then-NFL record for touchdown catches in his breakout ’84 season, Clayton followed
up with 70 catches for 996 yards (14.2 avg.) and four TDs in 1985, again being
selected for the Pro Bowl. The undersized receiver had great jumping ability
and quickness, if not the greatest speed, and made for a productive tandem in
combination with Mark Duper and catching passes from QB Dan Marino. Clayton was
named to another Pro Bowl in 1986 and, following a lesser year in the
strike-interrupted ’87 season, caught a career-high 86 passes in 1988 and led
the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions. Overall, he played ten years with Miami,
through 1992, and set franchise records with 550 catches and 81 TDs while
gaining 8643 yards (15.7 avg.). Clayton played one final season for the Green
Bay Packers in 1993 and ended up with a total of 582 pass receptions for 8974
yards (15.4 avg.) and 84 touchdowns. He
received first- or second-team All-AFC honors three times and was chosen to the
Pro Bowl on five occasions.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing: Yards,
TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
