Jimmy Clausen James Richard " Jimmy " Clausen ( born September 21 , 1987 ) is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft . He played college football at Notre Dame . High school career . Clausen had an outstanding prep career at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village , California . In 2006 , he threw 49 touchdown passes for the season to lead the Lions to their first ever Division III state title . Clausen never lost a football game he started in his prep career ( 42 - 0 ) and also holds the California state record for career touchdowns ( 146 ) . He threw for 10 , 677 yards in his career at Oaks Christian . As a senior , Clausen won the 2006 Hall Trophy for the nation ' s top high school football player and was also named “ Offensive Player of the Year ” by the " USA Today " . Clausen was also named the Co Player of the Year , along with USC running back Joe McKnight , by Parade Magazine . As the younger brother of two former Division I quarterbacks — Casey and Rick Clausen , who both played at Tennessee — Jimmy Clausen gained media attention very early . Beginning in eighth grade , his parents paid his tutelage under professional quarterbacks coach Steve Clarkson . During his junior season , a " Sports Illustrated " feature dubbed him “ The Kid with The Golden Arm ” . Recruiting analysts considered him a “ once in a decade ” quarterback talent and ranked him as the # 1 overall prospect of the 2007 high school class . Because of his quick release , some in the media compared him to Joe Namath . Critics have questioned whether Clausen ' s success in high school was largely a product of his team — containing almost a dozen players that went on to play for NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision teams , including a highly - ranked running back , Marc Tyler — and the inferior talent level of its opponents . Many of these critics pointed to the 2007 U . S . Army All - American Bowl in which Clausen was outplayed by fellow 2007 quarterback recruit , Ryan Mallett . Further , Clausen ' s age is a subject of criticism : he started kindergarten at six and repeated sixth grade , thus he was 19 years old at the time of his early graduation . On April 22 , 2006 , Clausen verbally committed to the University of Notre Dame . He was the most highly touted recruit for the Fighting Irish since the arrival of Ron Powlus in 1993 . Clausen announced his oral commitment at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend , Indiana , after arriving in a stretch Hummer limousine . He also said his goal was to win multiple national titles with the Irish . College career . Clausen , who graduated from high school one semester early , enrolled at Notre Dame on January 16 , 2007 . In Notre Dame ' s only preseason practice open to the media , Clausen threw only a number of short passes , casting some doubt on the strength of his arm after off - season elbow surgery . Following Notre Dame ' s opening loss to Georgia Tech in the 2007 season , Clausen was named the starting quarterback , but would win only one of his first six starts ( against UCLA ) and was replaced by backup quarterback Evan Sharpley during Notre Dame ' s loss to Boston College on October 13 , 2007 . Citing non - specific injuries to Clausen ( who had been sacked 23 times ) , head coach Charlie Weis named Sharpley as the starting quarterback for Notre Dame ' s contest against USC on October 20 , 2007 . After sitting out Notre Dame ' s losses to USC and Navy , Clausen was again named the starter for their contest against Air Force . Clausen finished his freshman year having completed 56 . 3 % of his passes for 1254 yards , with 7 touchdowns ( plus two rushing TDs ) and 6 interceptions and a passing efficiency of 103 . 85 , and he was sacked a team - record 34 times . During his sophomore season , he completed 60 . 9 % of his passes for 3172 yards , 25 touchdowns and 17 interceptions and a 132 . 5 efficiency rating which places him as the 44th ranked QB in Division 1 - A football . He led the Fighting Irish to a 7 - 6 record , culminating in a 49 - 21 victory against Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawai ' i Bowl — which ended Notre Dame ' s NCAA - record nine - game bowl losing streak . Clausen set Notre Dame bowl records with 406 yards passing and five touchdowns and was named the bowl ' s co - MVP . In October 2009 , Clausen was named midseason All - American by " The Sporting News " . His finished the season with 3 , 722 yards passing , a 68 . 8 % completion rate , 161 . 42 passer rating , 28 touchdowns , and four interceptions . On Monday , December 7 , 2009 , Clausen declared that he would forgo his senior season at Notre Dame and enter the NFL draft . Clausen returned to Notre Dame during the 2011 off - season to finish his degree in sociology . Professional career . 2010 NFL Draft . Clausen announced his intention to enter the 2010 NFL Draft on December 7 , 2009 . Clausen was expected to be one of the top quarterbacks available in the draft , along with former Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford . He was projected by many to be a Top - 10 pick . Surprisingly , however , he was not selected in the first round of the draft , with Bradford and Florida ' s Tim Tebow selected ahead of him . He was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 16th pick of the 2nd round ( 48th overall ) . Analysts attributed his slide to his cocky demeanor and " persnickety smirkness " . Carolina Panthers . On July 28 , 2010 , Clausen signed a four - year , $ 6 . 3 million contract with the Panthers , which includes $ 2 . 53 million in guarantees . Clausen made his NFL debut in a loss against the New York Giants in the 2010 season opener , after starting quarterback Matt Moore was sidelined with a concussion . After poor play by Matt Moore in a week 2 matchup against the Buccaneers , Clausen took over late in the game . He completed 7 of 13 passes for 59 yards and an interception and one fumbled snap , and led a 17 - play drive that was stopped inside the 5 - yard line . The following week , Clausen started his first NFL game against the Bengals , completing 16 of 33 passes for 188 yards and an interception and three fumbled snaps , losing two . During the game TV cameras caught wide receiver Steve Smith walking over to Clausen , who was talking with an assistant coach , and screaming at the rookie . Smith walked away , but returned and said something else before being escorted away by tight end Jeff King . At that point , Smith threw down a cup of Gatorade . The incident was later downplayed by Smith . It was the second time there had been communication issues between Smith and Clausen . On May 6 , 2010 , a report on the website " Pro Football Talk " stated that , " Steve Smith ' basically thinks Jimmy is a punk ' " . The website later reported that Smith send a text message to Clausen that the report was " B . S . " . In Clausen ' s 2nd NFL start ( a week 4 match - up against the New Orleans Saints ) , Clausen went 11 of 21 for 146 yards and completed his 1st NFL touchdown pass . After just three NFL starts and being pulled in week 5 , Clausen was benched after completing 47 percent of his passes with one touchdown and three interceptions . Clausen also fumbled seven times , losing two , and had a 52 . 2 passer rating . Personal . Off - the - field incidents . On June 23 , 2007 , Clausen was cited for illegal transportation of alcohol in South Bend , Indiana . He was driving someone who was of legal drinking age to a liquor store to buy alcohol . According to published reports , Clausen entered a pre - trial diversion program which erased the citation since he stayed out of trouble for the following 12 months . On November 22 , 2009 , Clausen was involved in an altercation outside of a South Bend pub . Sources indicate that Clausen was there with family and teammates following the team ' s senior day loss to Connecticut . It was reported that upon his departure , Clausen was punched in the face outside of the pub . A South Bend Police Department spokesperson stated that no police report was filed over that weekend involving Clausen . Reports indicate that Clausen was left with a black eye . A later report of this incident indicated that the other subject involved in this incident allegedly shoved Clausen ' s girlfriend . It was reported that Clausen then shoved the subject away prior to Clausen being punched .