Ryan Clark is one heck of a football player. Most of you already knew that. You also probably knew that Clark as a great Leader, a Pro Bowler, and a Super Bowl champion. What a lot of us don’t know however, is who Ryan Clark is off the field; where he is just as much of a champion as he is on it.
In 2012, Clark, who is in his eleventh year out of LSU, was one of the best players on the field for the Steelers. Despite making the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, including two AFC Championships, the Steelers struggled with inconsistencies and injuries in 2012, but that was in no fault to Clark, who had a career year on paper. Clark finished 2012 with a career high 102 tackles in 15 games, as well as forcing two fumbles (recovering one), hauling in two INT’s, and recording seven pass breakups.
As you will notice however, Clark missed one game at Denver in 2012, which is where the real story of his career begins. It all started back when Clark suffered from “excruciating pain” as he put it, after a 2007 game in the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado. Doctors say the high altitude and extreme physical stress experienced during the game triggered painful and dangerous symptoms, normally only seen in those with sickle cell disease. Well, when Clark returned to Pittsburgh to undergo a battery of tests at the University of Pitt Medical Center, his test results found sickle cell-related damage to his spleen. Doctors had no choice but to perform emergency surgery to remove Ryan’s spleen and gallbladder, sidelining him for the remainder of the Steelers’ season. Clark was officially diagnosed with Sickle Cell Trait, meaning he inherited only one sickle cell gene from one parent. “A lot of people were skeptical I’d ever be able to play again.” Clark said. Thirty pounds lighter after surgery, a determined Clark returned to play the following season however, aiming to prove people wrong. His courageous and inspiring return to pro football even earned him the Ed Block Courage Award, presented yearly to selected NFL players who represent “exemplary role models of courage, inspiration, and sportsmanship.”
Ryan states on his website, Cureleague.org, of other horrifying events that he and his wife, Yonka, have dealt with when it comes to sickle cell disease beyond the football field. Ryan’s sister-in-law died from complications of sickle cell disease in 2009 at age 27. This loss, and countless inspiring stories of patients and others who have lost loved ones to sickle cell disease, fuels their passion to help find a cure. This passion is carried out in Clark’s foundation named “Cureleague,” which raises money for sickle cell disease research, clinical care, and increased awareness about this painful, life-threatening disease. There are four main goals for Cureleague according to Ryan. These goals are- 1.) Finding effective new sickle cell disease treatments, 2.) Identifying a cure for sickle cell disease, 3.) Expanding patient access to comprehensive sickle cell disease care, and 4.) Increasing public awareness and reducing the stigma associated with sickle cell disease. Finally, Clark was able to find a suitable foundation to be a part, which is something he was searching for since his rookie year in the league. “I’d go to the other guys’ events. I’d pick one up when someone couldn’t do it. But I could never find the right thing for me. I wanted to establish myself in the league and the community before I jumped into something. I wanted to get to the point where lending my name to a cause would really mean something.”
Clark’s work however has done more than just help others. It has also gained a ton of respect with players, fans, and executives in the league. This is proven with the fact that he is the Steelers’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which goes to the player who combines on-field excellence with outstanding community service. There is no greater honor in the game. “Humbling, very humbling,” Clark said. “Walter Payton, obviously, was one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, but I think the ‘Sweetness’ nickname came from who he was and what he represented on and off the field.”
Ryan may not be allowed to play a game in Denver for the rest of his career, but rest assured that every game he is out there, he will be a force. It’s a good thing to know however, that as tough as he is on the field, and even if he is playing without crucial organs in his body, his heart is as big as anyone’s, and he deserves to be publically recognized for it.
Follow RYAN CLARK on twitter @RealRClark25 and @PlayerInsiders
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