Clayton Has Been Called a "Player" by Girls in His Hometown

While former NFL player Clayton Echard may be winning the hearts of the women on his season (and of some of the viewers at home), it seems he hasn't always been such a swoon-worthy man. As with most of the prominent contestants on The Bachelor franchise, fans want to know more about his dating history — including any ex-girlfriends he had before the show.

Here's what we know about Clayton's dating history.

When talking about Clayton's dating history, we'd be remiss if we didn't include Michelle Young. Clayton competed for Michelle's heart on Season 18 of The Bachelorette. While the former football player connected with the teacher onscreen, he connected even more with her students who made an appearance. While Michelle ultimately decided to send him home after he earned 1-on-1 time during a group date, he went on to date dozens of other women on The Bachelor.

While we don't have any concrete details about the women he dated before The Bachelorette, there are plenty who say they've seen him around. Following Clayton's premiere, many of the women from his hometown have come forward online, claiming he's a "player" and has matched with most of the single women in the area on the dating app Hinge.

In an interview with Us Weekly, he admitted that before coming on the show, he was "just having fun" with dating.

When it comes to Bachelor Nation relationships, it seems that even ex-girlfriends of former contestants aren't safe. Before Clayton's season began airing, Dean Unglert (from Rachel Lindsay's season of The Bachelorette and two different seasons of Bachelor in Paradise) revealed that one of his ex-girlfriends was actually a contestant competing for Clayton's affection.

"You know, my ex-girlfriend is actually on the season of the next Bachelor ... She was my girlfriend from college," Dean told Jared Haibon on their podcast, Help! I Suck at Dating. “Producers called me and were like, ‘Hey, we’re thinking of casting this person — what do you think of her? We know that you dated 10 years ago.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, she’s great. If she gets selected for the show, she’ll either win the show or she’ll be the next Bachelorette.’ And I firmly believe that."

Gabby, the ICU nurse from Colorado, is the ex in question. Those who watched Episode 3 of The Bachelor watched her take home the group date rose, securing her a spot amid all of the drama happening between the other women.

You can watch The Bachelor when it airs on ABC on Mondays at 8 p.m. EST.