Stylin' & Profilin' With M-80

Tampa Bay receiver Michael Clayton will wear his road uniform against Carolina on "Monday Night Football," but what he sports en route to each opposing stadium is more important to him than deciding which color football gloves to wear.

Clayton is arguably one of Tampa Bay's best-dressed players, and the eye-catching attire he wears to games is so impressive, fashion designers probably would watch live shots of him walking into stadiums before changing the station at kickoff.

With Tampa Bay fighting for an NFC South title, Clayton talked about his battle to be known for being stylish on and off the field.

Anwar: How much preparation goes into your road attire?

Michael: About two days' worth of preparation. I go to the closet and kind of figure out what I want to bless these guys with. It's a total process. You've got to bless them with a little something light on Saturday travel, and on Sunday you make them say, "Ooh."

Anwar: Was the cashmere coat you wore in Detroit a blessing for everyone?

Michael: Yes, it was. I actually gave them the cashmere coat on Saturday and Sunday. It was just that special. Being in Florida, you don't really get a chance to utilize your winter clothes.

Anwar: Why is looking "GQ" so important to you?

Michael: It's an attitude. I like to look good everywhere I go, because it's always business to me. The way that you look really sets yourself apart in any atmosphere. I have gotten so many deals just off the way that I dress. When you talk about being an entrepreneur, that's just the mind-set I like to have.

Anwar: Should Michael Clayton be on the cover of GQ, Details or Esquire magazine?

Michael: I'm really not familiar with these magazines. I'm a versatile guy. Isn't GQ more conservative?

Anwar: It is a little bit. Maybe we should have a magazine made just for you?

Michael: That is definite. I have versatility. I can rock Rocawear, but I can also rock a suit.

Anwar: Weren't you a T-shirt guy as a rookie?

Michael: Nah, not really.

Anwar: Mike, you know you were a T-shirt guy as a rookie.

Michael: I was a clean T-shirt guy. If I wore a T-shirt, it was a clean T-shirt. I was fresh.

Anwar: If you could pimp out your NFL uniform, what would you put on it?

Michael: Hmm? I would probably put slits at the bottom of the pants. Tailor it really tight across the knees and put my M-80 emblem on the kneecaps. I might even have a French cuff on a short-sleeved jersey with a button that makes it tighten up, but with my M-80 on it. Maybe I would put a French collar on it, too.

Anwar: I don't think anybody is ready for that, Michael.

Michael: They ain't ready.

Anwar: Can Cato June and Phillip Buchanon hang with you fashion-wise?

Michael: Yes. Well, no. It depends on what you're talking about. With suits, Cato has a strong arsenal. Buchanon's suit game isn't quite up to me and Cato. He has linen fits, which is one step down from suits, but he's really nice with that.

Anwar: How much preparation is going into your wardrobe for Monday's game?

Michael: Monday night is special. You have to have the right shoes. That's always the thing. A lot of guys get a different suit, but the same shoes. No, no, no, no. You got to come clean. You've got to bless them with something different every time they see you.

Anwar: Do you still approach this Monday like any other game, with two days of wardrobe preparation?

Michael: I'm already in my mind-set for Monday night. I know exactly what I want to wear. It's already started. This is prime-time TV. This is when you step out, all the way out.

Anwar: So you're going to bless us on Monday?

Michael: You will definitely be blessed.

Anwar: Speaking of blessing, how does your Sunday church attire differ from your Sunday game-day attire?

Michael: I don't step all the way out for church. I leave my exclusives for one time and one time only. You don't want everybody looking at you. It's not about you. It's about the man upstairs. You also try not to look better than the preacher. That's important.

Anwar: But could you hang with Bishop T.D. Jakes? He has his own clothing line.

Michael: Some preachers have a lot of style. Bishop Jakes has style. He has a lot of flavor, but I'm not going to wear my pink-skittle gator shoes to church.

Anwar: Have you started working on your Super Bowl wardrobe yet?

Michael: Not yet. That's a whole different ballgame. I've got to go to my checking account to get ready for the Super Bowl.

Anwar: Could you style a nice outfit around a Super Bowl ring?

Michael: If I had a Super Bowl ring, I ain't wearing nothing but my ring. If I put a ring on my finger, fashion will go out the window.