Quarterback guru brings strong resume to Arizona Cardinals

Longtime offensive assistant Tom Clements will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Arizona Cardinals this fall

Two weeks after the hiring of Kliff Kingsbury back in January, the Arizona Cardinals handed their new head coach a tremendous gift. There are lingering doubts about whether the team’s new on-field leader can transition from the college ranks to the pros. Therefore, surrounding Kingsbury with a wealth of experienced coaches would seem to be a good strategy for the Cardinals’ brass.

It appears that Arizona’s front office wholeheartedly agrees with that sentiment. The acquisition of longtime offensive assistant Tom Clements may go down as one of the club’s most underrated moves of 2019. Take one look at the veteran’s impressive resume, and you’ll see why.

To say that the Cards’ new passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach has been around the block would be an understatement. As a player, Clements won a national championship as the University of Notre Dame’s signal-caller in 1973. There were also two Grey Cup championships as a passer in the CFL, and seven All-Star appearances during his time in that league as well.

What followed was a incredibly distinguished coaching career that began in 1992. Clements’ expertise, not surprisingly, has been working with quarterbacks. Under the guru’s guidance, signal-callers such as Elvis Grbac, Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox have all made trips to the Pro Bowl.

An 11-year stint as an assistant with the Green Bay Packers afforded Clements a chance to work with two of the NFL’s all-time best. His work with the great Brett Favre in 2007 resulted in a Pro Bowl invitation for the gunslinger and also an NFC Championship game appearance at the end of the season. Under Clements’ tutelage, Aaron Rodgers was voted to six Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl Championship following the 2010 campaign.

Helping Kingsbury make the jump to the professional level is just one of the tasks that lie ahead for Clements. Cardinals’ rookie quarterback Kyler Murray will also be looking to pick the brain of the knowledgeable staff member. Transitioning the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner to the nuances of the pro game will also present a challenge for the more than capable Clements.

There will be many instances this coming fall when Kingsbury will need to turn to someone for help. Having an assistant coach who has seen it all will certainly come in handy. The Cards firmly believe that Clements is well-suited to handle that responsibility.