Cuco Clemente

Cuco Clemente

No. 92 – Sarasota Sailfish
Position:	Defensive Tackle
Personal information
Born:	(2013-16-02)April 2, 2013 (aged 47) Santiago, Dominican Republic
Height:	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:	310 lb (141 kg)
Career information
High school:	Collegio Nunez y De Leon
College:	Florida
ISFL Draft:	2037 / Round: 2 / Pick: 8
DSFL Draft:	2036 / Round: 3 / Pick: 7
Career history
Roster status:	Active

Cuco Clemente, formerly Octavio (born April 2, 1999) is an American football defensive tackle who currently plays for the Sarasota Sailfish. He played college football for the University of Florida (FL) and entered the NSFL through the DSFL in 2038.

Early years

Octavio Clemente grew up in Santiago, Dominican Republic and attended Collegio Nunez y De Leon. He originally only played baseball and did not get introduced to football until his junior year. Clemente played First base, but struggled with plate disciple and was prone to striking out. Once introduced to American football, He developed a training regime inspired by drills used in Football. After a viral video showing his size and athleticism went viral, Octavio drew significant interest from American Universities for Football. He decided to quit baseball and focus only on learning Football. He worked closely with John Palmero over skype sessions to refine his technique. Though Clemente had no game film, He was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com. His speed made him an intriguing prospect. Clemente fielded many offers before initially committing to play college football at Florida International. He de-committed and eventually chose to commit to the University of Florida.

College career

Clemente redshirted his true freshman season. He played in all 13 of the Gators' games with three starts as a redshirt freshman, recording 25 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss and a team-best 5.0 sacks with 11 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. As a redshirt sophomore, Clemente made 42 tackles, 8.0 tackles-for-loss, 7.5 sacks in ten games played (six starts). Clemente was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week for Week 3 after recording 2.5 sacks against Colorado State. He initially contemplated returning to Florida for his Redshirt Junior year but decided to declare for the (S22) DSFL Draft to help with the financial burdens of his family in the Dominican Republic.

Career statistics			Tackles			Sacks	Interceptions		Other
Season	Team	Games	Reg	TFL	Total	Sack	Int	IntTD	DefTD	FFum	FRec	PD	Safety
2033	FL	Redshirt
2034	FL	12	25	8.5	33.5	5	0	0	0	1	1	1	0
2035	FL	10	34	8	42	7.5	0	0	0	1	0	2	0

Pre-Draft Scouting Report

STRENGTHS Plays with tremendous natural speed. Has speed in his hands and upper body to shed blockers without much effort when its time. Sneaky lateral foot quickness. Uses quick feet and shoulder turn to leverage him into gaps for disruption. Flashes some occasional "quick win" handwork as a pass rusher.Has talent and speed to do what he wants on some snaps. Can generate a heavy pocket push when he gets some knee-­bend going.

WEAKNESSES Will lockout his long legs on too many snaps. Upright play style limits his leverage and balance against down­ blocks. Motor will run out of gas if he's forced to chase after play for very long. Average ball instincts. Change of direction can be inconsistent due to pad level. Flashes pass rush talent, but too content to lay on blockers when early rush fizzles. New to football. Will need to study technique and playbook. Strenght lacking for someone his size. Need to talk Strength training serious to make an impact at the next level.

Projected as a situational pass rusher who can rush from the inside as well as kick outside on passing downs.

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	40‑yd dash	20‑ss	3‑cone	Vert jump	Broad	BP	Wonderlic
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	310 lb (141 kg)	4.4 s	4.44 s	7.64 s	28.2 in (0.72 m)	119.3 in (3.03 m)	37 reps	20

DSFL career

Rookie DSFL Season- S21 Season

Octavio Clemente impressed early on with DSFL scouts. He went from a late-round pick to a player that was seen as a second or third-round talent. Clemente was drafted with the 7th pick of the 3rd round to the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers. He was the 23rd overall player to be selected and the third defensive tackle off the board.

Clemente would start every game including the postseason for the Buccaneers. His season started out slowly, as he was not making an impact on the stat sheet like he was expected given his draft position. He would continually improve and had an impressive second half to the season. He would finish 2nd amongst DSFL DT in tackles and was apart of a stifling defensive unit for Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach would go onto win the Ultimini. The defense shut out the Norfolk Seawolves in the conference championship and then would continue their dominance in the championship game against the Kansas City Coyotes. Clemente was an integral part of the Buccaneers' success anchoring a defense with many future NSFL stars. Brandon Booker, Troen Eggheads, Johnny Hellzapopping and Rotticus Scott are among the amazing players on this defense. The team picked up the nickname "The Bad Boys of Myrtle Beach" due to their numerous run-ins with the law and head office.

Going into the NSFL draft Clemente was seen as a late first to middle second-round pick. He has made a strong reputation for himself across the league as a good locker room influence and hard worker. His surprising speed and athleticism have translated to the DSFL level and is what where his value lies with NSFL GMs. He officially changed his name from Octavio to Cuco upon entering the NSFL draft.

NSFL Draft

Cuco Clemente was selected with the 8th pick in the Second Round, 20th overall by the Sarasota Sailfish. Sarasota was in their inaugural season as an expansion Franchise. Clemente joined Myrtle Beach teammate, Dax Frost, who was chosen in the expansion draft. Sarasota had a very strong expansion draft, drafting 4 veteran Defensive lineman. Their draft included legendary Freezer Riposte, who would be playing in his final season. Due to the this depth, it was decided that it would be best for Clemente's development to have another year in the DSFL, starting, rather than be a rotational piece in the NSFL. Clemente would be one of the most prominent DSFL send downs. He was one of five send downs from the 1st two rounds of the S22 NSFL draft.

Second DSFL Season- S22 Season

Myrtle Beach would enter the S22 season as the heavy favorite in their bid to repeat as Ultimini champions. The Buccaneers would start the season 3-1 behind a dominating defense. The Myrtle Beach defense held their opponents to 36 points through the 1st 4 games. Myrtle Beach would go on to lose their next 3 games, the margin in each loss would be 6 points or less. The rough stretch would continue as Myrtle Beach went 1-2 in the next three games. With their of record 4-6, The Myrtle Beach Buccaneers would need to win out to be able to qualify for the playoffs. The Buccaneers would respond by winning their next 3 games. The Buccaneers season came down to the last game of the season vs Norfolk. Winner qualifies for the playoffs. The game would be a roller coaster where despite 2 pick sixes the Buccaneers forced the game to go to overtime. Myrtle Beach would lose by a field goal and would end the season 7-7 finishing last in their division as well as missing the playoffs.

Clemente's campaign was a positive one on an individual level. He lead all DT in tackles with 53 the next closet DT was at 43.

DSFL Career Statistics

Season	Team	Games	TKL	TFL	Sack	Int	IntTD	DefTD	FFum	FRec	PD	Safety
2036	Myrtle Beach	14	46	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2037	Myrtle Beach	14	53	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

DSFL Playoff Statistics

Season	Team	Games	TKL	TFL	Sack	Int	IntTD	DefTD	FFum	FRec	PD	Safety
2036	Myrtle Beach	2	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

NSFL career

NSFL Rookie Season-S23 Season

Following his second season in the DSFL. Clemente was called up to the Sarasota Sailfish. He would be the starting Defensive Tackle, replacing aging legend Freezer Riposte. During the offseason, Clemente had focused on getting stronger and being able to handle the run as well as the pass. His years in the DSFL taught him how important stopping the run is. He came into the year a very balanced defensive tackle who could play all 4 downs. Clemente would join a Sarasota team that had made the playoffs the year prior with a 6-7 record. Heading into the season, there was a lot of uncertainty in the direction of the Sarasota Sailfish due to their lack of a quarterback. It was announced before the season, that Dexter Banks would transition from WR to QB. This heightened the expectations of the organization and many thought the Sailfish would be able to return to the Playoffs. As the season progressed, the team had a very up and down start. The defense played spectacular but the offense was still working out the kinks of a new QB. Clemente as a rookie would take some time to settle in, making a very minimal impact through the first 4 games. Clemente found his stride in toward the end of the season when he recorded a sack in 3 straight games. For the Sailfish, the playoffs were still a possibility as they entered the last week of the season. They need a win to secure their 1st .500 record and a chance at the playoffs. The Sailfish would win, but still not make the playoffs. Clemente overall had a solid year for a rookie. He had a good share of sacks with 8 but his overall tackle numbers were disappointing. All and all it was a solid rookie season for the defensive tackle.

NSFL Rookie Season-S23 Season

Coming off a strong rookie, expectations were high for Clemente in his sophomore season. The Sailfish were able to acquire Big Edd on the defensive line in the offseason. That shifted Clemente into a new role on the defense as Edd was put in a position to use his killer pass-rushing instinct, Clemente would be used as the primary run stuff/block eater. Coming into the season, the Sailfish were expected to be a .500 team. The Sailfish blew those expectations out of the water, winning 6-0 straight games before losing to New Orleans. The Sailfish would finish 14-2, losing a crucial home game to Colorado Yeti 31-41 and with it, home-field advantage. In the playoff, the Sailfish would face another surprise contender in the Chicago Butchers. The Sailfish would come in as heavy favorites after beating the butchers 47-13 in week 16. The Sailfish would again come out victorious, this time by a score of 24-17. This set up the rubber match for the Sailfish against the Yeti. The game would live up to the hype and come down to the last position. In the 4th quarter needing a touchdown to win, the Sailfish would drive into the redzone, led by a dynamic Dexter Banks II. The game would end on a 4th down drop by Clark Boyd.

Clemente had an adequate performance in the regular season. He regressed in the most important category, sacks. He was absolutely putrid in the playoffs, only accounting for 1 tackle in two games. After the conference championship game, Clemente was heavily criticized. There were rumors that he could not keep the weight on he needed to be a defensive tackle in the ISFL.

NSFL Career Statistics

Season	Team	Games	TKL	TFL	Sack	Int	IntTD	DefTD	FFum	FRec	PD	Safety
2038	Sarasota	16	37	1	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2039	Sarasota	16	45	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

NSFL Playoff Statistics

Season	Team	Games	TKL	TFL	Sack	Int	IntTD	DefTD	FFum	FRec	PD	Safety
2039	Sarasota	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Achievements and records

DSFL

• Drafted 23rd Overall in the S21 DSFL Draft to the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers
• S21 DSFL Ultimini - Myrtle Beach Buccaneers
• S21 DSFL Pro Bowl Starter - DT - Myrtle Beach Buccaneers

ISFL

• Drafted 20th Overall in the S22 NSFL Draft to the Sarasota Sailfish (First Draft pick in Franchise History)
• Converted to Safety prior to S25

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