.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Jared Clauss has gone from tackling muddy 230-pound running backs to advising clients about financial planning and asset management at a nice, clean desk in West Des Moines.

The former All-American from the University of Iowa was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2004 as a defensive tackle. When he wasn’t on the field, he was often visiting classrooms to talk about the importance of values, or visiting hospitalized military members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

In much the same way, Clauss stays active volunteering in the Greater Des Moines community. He’s a member of the 2010 Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute class, and serves on the board of Character Counts in Iowa as fund-raising co-chairman.

“The Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute has been great,” he said. “That has really opened up my eyes to ways to get involved beyond the ones in which I already am, because you have 60 different people with different interests.”

In 2008, Clauss joined UBS Financial Services Inc. as a financial adviser. Completing the J.L. Kellogg School of Business Management Executive High Growth and Entrepreneurial Course while he was in the NFL helped to prepare him for the career. He also interned for Sen. Chuck Grassley while he was living in Washington, D.C., working in the tax and trade office of the Senate Committee on Finance.

His former coach, University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz, said Clauss “clearly demonstrates outstanding character and motivation … He leads by example, exhibits excellent work habits and is an extremely self-disciplined individual.”

Clauss said his experiences in sports and the business community have shown him that anyone can become a leader, if they’re willing to work hard enough at it.

“I’ve seen that in folks who are successful; there is not much fluff to them,” he said. “They go to work, they work hard and they put in their dues. The guys who are in the NFL now that were at Iowa got there through hard work; there’s no magic formula. I think everyone can be a leader – there’s no one type of effective leader.”