Michael Hugh Clark (born March 30, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL) during the 1980s. Clark played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Washington Redskins, the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL, and the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL.

Early life

Clark was born in Dothan, Alabama, in 1959. He attended Graceville High School in Graceville, Florida,databaseFootball.com, Players, . Retrieved July 18, 2010. where he played high school football for the Graceville Tigers.

College career

Clark accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played for coach Doug Dickey and coach Charley Pell's Gators teams from 1977 to 1980. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 180 (2011). Retrieved August 28, 2011. During Clark's senior season in 1980, he was a member of the Gators team that posted the biggest one-year turnaround in the history of NCAA Division I footballNorm Carlson, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 95–96 (2007).—from 0–10–1 in 1979College Football Data Warehouse, Florida Yearly Results 1975–1979 . Retrieved July 18, 2010. to an 8–4 bowl team in 1980.College Football Data Warehouse, Florida Yearly Results 1980–1984 . Retrieved July 18, 2010.

Professional career

The Los Angeles Rams selected Clark in the seventh round (190th pick overall) of the 1981 NFL draft. Clark played a single season for each of the Washington Redskins in , the San Francisco 49ers in , and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in .National Football League, Historical Players, Mike Clark. Retrieved July 18, 2010. Clark was also a starting defensive end for coach Steve Spurrier's Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL in 1984 and 1985.

Life after football

Clark is retired from professional sports and lives in Tampa, Florida. He has one daughter.

See also

Florida Gators football, 1970–79 Florida Gators football, 1980–89 History of the San Francisco 49ers History of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft List of Washington Redskins players

References