David Clowney definitely gets better with experience.

Coming into the 2009 season, the New York Jets receiver had one career catch for 26 yards in two seasons of sporadic, injury-marred play.

In his third season, Clowney started to make a name for himself as the Jets’ No. 3 receiver behind Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards.

Clowney played in 13 games, starting three. He finished with 14 catches for 191 yards (13.6 yards per catch) with one touchdown. His longest reception went for 53 yards. And those stats came with the Jets playing a conservative offense behind rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The touchdown catch, a 35-yarder in a shutout of the Oakland Raiders in Week 7, stood out most to Clowney, a Florida native and fifth-round draft pick out of Virginia Tech in 2007 by the Packers.

“I almost came to tears on the sideline. I’ve been waiting on that thing for three years,” said Clowney who finished that game with four catches for 79 yards, his best performance as a pro. “It was just a regular go route, from the 35-yard line or so. Coach switched me to the other side of the ball, from flanker to split end, and Mark just tossed one up to me. It’s funny because I actually talked to Mark a couple plays before that and told him whatever you do, throw it early and let me run under it. He threw it a little behind me, but it was good enough to allow me to make a play on it. You have to have that confidence and the quarterback has to have that confidence that the receivers can make plays.”

With Clowney’s speed and added experience, both for Clowney and Sanchez, Jets fans could be looking at more long plays from the speedster in 2010.