Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 9 No. 2 | October 2016

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I don’t celebrate much after big plays. That’s not me. I get more hyped for
my teammates when they make plays. They’re always joking with me about
when I make a play and how I’ll get up and just clap or walk away,
but that’s [celebrating] just never been me. —Chuck Clark
school—the worst of punishments for teenagers in today’s world.
Clark’s mother once made him and his three siblings clean out their
closets and place their unused clothes and shoes into boxes. They
then drove to an impoverished area in Portsmouth and handed those
clothes to the homeless.
That experience resonated with Clark. He wants to help people once
football runs its course, albeit in a different way.
“I could work with juvenile delinquents, or family therapy or
counseling,” he said. “I feel that it’s always important to focus on our
youth. Sometimes they get overlooked, and sometimes they don’t.
“Someone who has been in a position where people have looked up to
them before … to have someone like that to be able to work with kids of
all ages, it helps them out a lot. So I’d like to help the youth. They are who
will be running the country. I just want to give them a helping hand.”
But before diving into that career, or even a career in the NFL, he
keeps his focus on the Hokies and doing his best to help this 2016 team
record another winning season and another bowl appearance.
Tech had positioned itself well heading into its bye week, having won
three of its first four games, including two of the blowout variety. Each
win creates excitement about the possibilities, but Clark prefers to echo
head coach Justin Fuente’s mindset.
“We need to build confidence and not complacency,” Clark
said. “With wins, you can sometimes
feel complacency, but I tell the safeties,
‘Let’s not build complacency. Let’s
build confidence. Let’s take the wins
and use them in a positive way.’
“Like Coach Fuente says, let’s
take it one week at a time and go
1-0 each week. Just focus on the
next week.”
Much of Tech’s future success
hinges on Clark. It hinges on
his ability to get the Hokies
lined up properly from his free
safety spot and on his ability
to make big plays, such as the
interception against UVA last
year.
Such a play ranks as one of his
most memorable moments—if
not the most.
“I couldn’t put it into words,”
Clark said. “To give that ball to
Coach Beamer … that meant the
world to me.”
Hopefully, there are more good
moments to come. Just like the folks
whom he saw in the bridge game
this spring, he’ll be competing at the
utmost to make them happen.
TALKING
“ ”
football spotlight chuck clark
, C.E.C.
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