Cody Clay is in his second season as a Cougar.
Photo Courtesy: APU Sports Information
An unlikely decision led 6-foot-6, 305-pound senior lineman Cody Clay to Azusa Pacific football two years ago as a transfer student from Fullerton College. The lineman was confronted with a choice between APU and Division I schools like UCLA and Ole Miss.
“After my second season at Fullerton, I was faced with where to go to university and I had it down to University of Connecticut, University of Tennessee and here,” Clay said. “APU had three seniors that were graduating that were all starters, so I knew I could come in and play right away.”
Clay’s decision rested strongly on one specific element of the APU football program: offensive line coach Jackie Slater. Slater’s coaching and professional careers are strongly admired by many offensive linemen around the nation.
“Having coach Slater here was a big impact on my decision,” Clay said. “A lot of prospects from the NFL fly out here to spend a weekend or a week with him, and if I can spend the next two years of my life with him every single day, I want to take full advantage of that.”
Slater said he was honored that Clay desired his influence on the field and that the entire football program worked to make the sought-after recruit a fellow Cougar for upcoming seasons.
“He’s been a major contributor on the offensive line since he’s been here,” Slater said. “He’s a Division I guy who decided to come here, and when people look at him on film, they know he’s a Division I guy because he dominates everybody. We are very fortunate to have him here. My hat’s off to coach Santa Cruz and coach Buys for the job they did recruiting him.”
Clay was also excited to work with Slater because he also played tackle.
“With people that are familiar with the NFL and offensive lines, he’s the No. 1 name that comes to mind,” Clay said. “He played 20 seasons with the NFL, which is already staggering, but to play all of those 20 seasons with the same team is even more of an accomplishment for him. I think he’s a six-time Pro Bowler, Hall of Fame guy, there’s no one that knows the game better.”
APU’s God-First attitude was also an important factor for Clay.
“Faith has always been a big part of my life,” he said. “Coming out of junior college, I was in a pretty rough spot in my life, and I knew I wasn’t going to do very well at a place where God wasn’t the center of your life. That definitely had a lot of weight on my decision as well.”
Clay said that Tennessee was disappointed when he turned the Volunteers down, but that it didn’t stop him from bringing his best to APU.
“They usually fly out like 10 guys at a time and do a big group tour, but for me, I was the only person they flew out,” Clay said. “I hung out with the head coach the entire weekend and I really did want to possibly go there, but when it came down to it, I wanted to be a Cougar a little bit more.”
Many characteristics set Clay apart on and off the field, and they’re noticed by his teammates and coaches
“He’s an amazing teammate and friend,” senior offensive lineman Jacob Olsson said. “When I’m on the field with him, I know he’s going to get the job done. To have someone like him that has such a care and love for the sport, I know everything will get done perfectly. Sports-wise, he has a serious play face that comes with a dominant level that is shown on the field.”
Slater takes notice of everything Clay does and said that the player really cares about his teammates and does not want to let them down.
“His mom and dad come to the games, his fiancee comes to the games, and he wants them to be proud of him,” Slater said. “The offseason program, the lifting, the running, everything he does, he takes a lot of pride in. He knows that there’s a lot of people watching him and a lot of people depending on him, and he has dreams and plans of the future and he’s doing everything he can to see those become a reality.”