Danny Clark (American football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Danny Clark

Clark in 2009
No. 55, 54
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1977-05-09) May 9, 1977 (age 48) Blue Island, Illinois, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	233 lb (106 kg)
Career information
High school:	Country Club Hills (IL) Hillcrest
College:	Illinois
NFL Draft:	2000 / Round: 7 / Pick: 245
Career history
Jacksonville Jaguars (2000–2003) Oakland Raiders (2004–2005) New Orleans Saints (2006) Houston Texans (2007) New York Giants (2008–2009) Houston Texans (2010)* New Orleans Saints (2010)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 689 Sacks: 7.0 Forced fumbles: 9 Fumble recoveries: 2 Interceptions: 2
Player stats at PFR

Danny Clark IV (born May 9, 1977) is a former American professional football player. He was a talented linebacker in the NFL.

Danny was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2000 NFL Draft. He also played college football at the University of Illinois. Throughout his career, he played for several teams. These included the Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, New York Giants, and New Orleans Saints.

Danny Clark's Early Life

Danny Clark was born in Blue Island, Illinois. He loved sports from a young age.

At Hillcrest High School, Danny was a star athlete. He played both quarterback and linebacker. He was recognized as an All-conference player in both positions. He was also chosen as an All-area pick. Later, he was named All-State as a defensive back.

In his senior year, Danny was amazing on offense. He ran for over 500 yards and scored seven touchdowns. He also threw for over 900 yards and five touchdowns. Besides football, he was also good at basketball and baseball.

College Football Career

Danny Clark went to the University of Illinois. He played for the Fighting Illini football team. He was a key player for four seasons.

Danny started in 44 of 45 games he played. He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten three times. This award recognized him as one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten conference. He finished his college career with 384 tackles. This was the sixth-highest in Illinois history. He even had more tackles than Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus.

In 1999, his senior year, Danny had a fantastic season. He started all 12 games. He made a career-high 122 tackles. He also had 3 sacks and one interception. As a junior, he led his team with 115 tackles. He also had 2 interceptions and forced a fumble. Danny graduated from Illinois with a degree in communications.

Danny Clark's NFL Journey

Jacksonville Jaguars Years

The Jacksonville Jaguars picked Danny Clark in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL draft. He was the 245th player chosen overall. He signed a four-year contract with the team.

During his four seasons with the Jaguars, Danny played in 61 games. He started 27 of those games. He played both as a linebacker and on special teams. In 2001, he had 48 tackles. He also made 17 tackles on special teams.

In the 2002 NFL season, Danny started all 16 games. He was the Jaguars' second-best tackler that year. He had a career-high 152 tackles. He also recorded 2 sacks and one interception. In 2003, his last year in Jacksonville, he played in all 16 games. He had 73 tackles and 11 special teams tackles.

Oakland Raiders Chapter

In 2004, Danny Clark joined the Oakland Raiders. He signed a two-year contract on March 11, 2004. He became a full-time starting linebacker for the Raiders.

He started all 16 games in 2004. He led the Raiders in tackles with 129. He also had 2 sacks. In 2005, he started 15 of 16 games. He led the Raiders in tackles for the second year in a row. He made 113 tackles that season.

First Time with New Orleans Saints

Danny Clark signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints on September 5, 2006. He played one season with the team.

He appeared in all 16 games that year. He recorded 29 tackles. He also made 13 tackles on special teams. The Saints even made it to the NFC Championship game that season.

Time with Houston Texans

Danny Clark signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans on March 7, 2007. He played in 13 games for them. He started eight of those games.

He recorded 51 tackles during his time with the Texans. He also had one interception and forced a fumble.

New York Giants Experience

On March 13, 2008, Danny Clark joined the New York Giants. He signed a two-year contract with them.

In 2008, he played in all 16 regular season games. He started 15 of them. He was the third-best tackler on the team with 74 tackles. He also started in a playoff game against Philadelphia.

Second Time with New Orleans Saints

Danny Clark signed with the New Orleans Saints again on September 6, 2010. He started 10 games for them. He had 59 tackles during that season. He officially retired from playing football on August 10, 2011.

NFL Career Statistics

These tables show Danny Clark's football statistics during his professional career.

Regular season

Playoffs