Razorback wide receiver D'Vone McClure, 22, kept an eye on football

NWA Democrat-Gazette/MICHAEL WOODS @NWAMICHAELW University of Arkansas receiver D'Vone McClure runs drills during the Razorbacks practice Saturday, August 20, 2016 at Razorback Stadium.

FAYETTEVILLE -- D'Vone McClure finally is playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

It took four years longer than expected and a different sport.

McClure, 6-2 and 219 pounds, is a freshman wide receiver for the Razorbacks after joining the football team May 23.

The 22-year-old had expected to be on campus much earlier after signing to play baseball for Arkansas in the fall of 2011 when he was a senior at Jacksonville High School.

The Cleveland Indians changed that.

After McClure hit .412 for Jacksonville during the 2012 season, Cleveland picked him in the fourth round of the major league draft and offered him a $765,000 signing bonus.

"It was more money than me or my family had seen before," McClure said. "The offer was too good to turn down."

McClure, an outfielder, signed with Cleveland and was touted as a raw athlete with speed and power who needed to develop his baseball skills.

In parts of four seasons from 2012-2015, he batted .219 in 108 games for the rookie league Arizona Indians and the Class A Mahoming Valley (Ohio) Scrappers in the New York-Penn League.

A shoulder injury limited McClure to nine games in 2015. Cleveland released him this year on the last day of spring training.

The move didn't catch McClure by surprise.

"I'm a realist," he said. "I already had some things in play as far as talking to colleges about playing football."

McClure's contract with Cleveland included a clause in which the Indians agreed to pay for his college education.

"It's nice to have a guy for free on your team who has played at the professional level," Arkansas receivers coach Michael Smith said. "Even though he played as a pro in baseball, not football, he brings a maturity that's really good for our room."

The Razorbacks are loaded at receiver, led by seniors Drew Morgan, Keon Hatcher, Dominique Reed and Cody Hollister and junior Jared Cornelius, so it won't be easy for McClure to get on the field this season.

"I've seen a guy that has a lot of want-to, a guy that is a smart football player," Smith said. "He still has a lot to learn about the position, coming from where he's coming from.

Fast facts about

D’Vone McClure

• Signed letter of intent to play baseball with Razorbacks in fall of 2011.

• Selected in fourth round of the 2012 baseball draft.

• Received a $765,000 bonus to sign with the Cleveland Indians.

• Spent four seasons in the Indians system, never advanced beyond the A level.

• Will have college education paid for by Indians, per a clause in his original contract.

"If he isn't able to help us this year from a special teams standpoint, it would be a great opportunity for him to redshirt and get accustomed to being back in football."

McClure said he considered several colleges for football, but only visited Arkansas and Arizona.

He said it was an easy choince when Arkansas' coaches invited him to join the program. He wanted to play for the Razorbacks and be reunited with Arkansas defensive back Kevin Richardson, his close friend and teammate at Jacksonville.

McClure caught 59 passes for 944 yards and 9 touchdowns and rushed 36 times for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns as a senior at Jacksonville.

"I always knew if baseball didn't work out that I'd play football in college," he said. "Football was always my first love."

Richardson said he helped convince McClure to come to Arkansas and approached the coaches about it.

"Kevin really initiated everything," McClure said. "When we talked, I asked him some serious questions, friend to friend, and he said, 'Yeah, bro, I think coming to Arkansas would be a good move for you.' "

Richardson said McClure has fit in well with the Razorbacks.

"As soon as we got him up here, everybody loved him," Richardson said. "He's big and built like an SEC receiver."

McClure has worked as a backup throughout practice and in two scrimmages has four receptions for 60 yards.

"He catches the ball very well," Smith said. "He has good hands, has really good feet.

"He's a bigger guy, too, so you don't expect guys that big to be that light on their feet, but he runs really good routes and catches the ball naturally."

McClure said he's hasn't felt too rusty after not playing football since 2011.

"I'm getting my football legs under me and getting used to having shoulder pads on again," he said. "I feel like the process is going pretty well.

"The guys have taken me in like a brother from day one. I'm thankful for that and I'm looking forward to having a good year and helping the team any way I can."

Sports on 08/22/2016