Monte Clark
Encyclopedia
Monte Dale Clark was an American football
player who served as head coach for two National Football League
teams: the San Francisco 49ers
and the Detroit Lions
.
for three years at the University of Southern California
. In 1958, he was named a captain of the squad, playing on both sides of the line with future Pro Football Hall of Fame
r Ron Mix
.
by the 49ers. After three years of playing both offense and defense, primarily at defensive tackle, Clark was traded to the Dallas Cowboys
on September 10, 1962. For the rest of his career, he would only see action as an offensive tackle.
Following one year in the Lone Star state, Clark was traded to the Cleveland Browns
on April 30, 1963. However, in the first exhibition game with his new team on August 10, Clark suffered a knee injury which never fully recovered during the course of the campaign.
Clark would become a staple at right tackle for six seasons. In the 1964 NFL Championship game against the Baltimore Colts
, Clark put his talents on display as he neutralized Colts' defensive end and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti
. The end result was a stunning 27-0 Browns victory.
Another solid season by Clark the following year saw the Browns once again reach the NFL title game. However, his 1966 season was disrupted when he suffered a torn biceps late in the year, an injury that forced off-season surgery.
. Shula hired Clark over the phone without an interview following glowing endorsements from Blanton Collier (Browns Head Coach) and 49ers head coach Dick Nolan. Clark's timing proved excellent when Shula helped transform the moribund franchise into a dynasty. During the final two years of his tenure, Clark served as the team's offensive coordinator.
In Miami, Clark built what many consider one of the best offensive lines in NFL history, as Larry Little and Jim Langer are both in the Hall of Fame, while Bob Kuechenberg continues to be nominated every year. This line not only helped set a new all-time rushing record, but also became the first team ever to have two backs rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season, including Hall of Fame running back Larry Csonka. Clark was asked about Csonka's bruising running style, and responded with this great quote. "When Csonka goes on safari, the lions roll up their windows."
During those six years of success in Miami, Clark was under consideration by teams to become their head coach, including his old team, the Browns in 1975. However, his first head coaching opportunity would come one year later, when his original team, the 49ers, hired him on January 13, 1976, making him the league's youngest head coach at the time.
As essentially the team's general manager, one of Clark's early moves was to acquire quarterback Jim Plunkett
from the New England Patriots
. He also put together a tough defensive line that had 30 sacks in the first six games of the 1976 NFL season
. After winning six of the first seven games, the 49ers dropped a 23–20 overtime decision to the St. Louis Cardinals
, a defeat that began a tailspin in which the team ended the year with an 8–6 record.
In March 1977, the 49ers' franchise was sold to Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. DeBartolo's ownership came with baggage: General Manager Joe Thomas
. Clark was familiar with Thomas from his days with the Dolphins and knew of the chaos and disruption he would bring to the 49ers. DeBartolo offered Clark more money and an extended contract to give up his player personnel duties to Thomas. Standing by his principles and with integrity Clark refused to give up his personnel duties, and was fired on April 6. Clark's actions would ring true as Thomas would go on to oversee the worst stretch of football in the team's history burning through four coaches in three years.
After sitting out the 1977 NFL season
, Clark found a new challenge when he was hired as head coach of the Detroit Lions
on January 11, 1978. Clark again had complete personnel control of a team, and finished with a 7–9 record in his first season. However, in 1979, a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Gary Danielson
during the preseason left the Lions without an experienced signal caller and resulted in a disastrous 2–14 campaign. The one bright spot in that season was that Detroit selected first in the 1980 NFL draft
, with the team picking Heisman Trophy
winner Billy Sims
. The resurgent Lions improved by seven games that year, winning five of their first six games and capturing a share of the NFC Central Division title, but a late-season slide caused them to lose a tie-breaker with the Vikings and keep them out of the playoffs.
An 8-8 season in 1981 was followed by a 4-5 record in the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season
. However, because of the expanded playoff system resulting from the strike, the Lions reached the postseason. Their appearance would be brief as they dropped a 31-7 opening round decision to the Washington Redskins
, who went on to win Super Bowl XVII
.
A slow start that saw the Lions win just one of their first five games in 1983 quickly changed when the Lions bounced back to capture the division title with a 9-7 record. As a huge underdog against the 49ers, the Lions nearly pulled off a major upset before losing 24-23. Detroit had led 23-17 with five minutes remaining, but San Francisco quickly took back the lead. In the closing seconds, Lions' kicker Eddie Murray
, who had made a 54-yard field goal in the first half, narrowly missed a 43-yard attempt with 11 seconds to go, putting an end to Detroit's season. As Murray lined up to attempt the potential game-winning field goal, on the sidelines Clark put his hands together in an apparent prayer (the "prayer" was replayed often in the next week).
Clark's final year saw the Lions collapse after a career-ending knee injury to Sims, finishing with a 4-11-1 mark. On December 19, 1984, the inevitable resulted when Clark was dismissed, a move that kept him out of football for the next five years until his return as Director of Player Personnel for the Dolphins in February 1990. Five years later, Clark was again hired as offensive line coach of the Dolphins, but the tenure lasted only one year after Shula was replaced by Jimmy Johnson
. Out of football for two years, Clark resurfaced as an assistant at the University of California, Berkeley
in 1998, but resigned at the conclusion of that season.
Clark returned to the Detroit Lions organization in 1999 as a special advisor. He died on September 16, 2009 from bone cancer that spread into his liver and lungs.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who served as head coach for two National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
teams: the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
College career
Clark played collegiatelyCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for three years at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. In 1958, he was named a captain of the squad, playing on both sides of the line with future Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
r Ron Mix
Ron Mix
Ronald Jack Mix , in Los Angeles, California was an American football player.Mix attended USC, and upon graduation played right tackle and guard for the American Football League's Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers and the NFL Oakland Raiders .- College career :A graduate of the University of Southern...
.
Professional career
Clark was selected in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL Draft1958 NFL Draft
The 1958 National Football League Draft was held on December 2, 1957 and January 28, 1958 .This was the last year in which the Lottery Bonus pick was used.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...
by the 49ers. After three years of playing both offense and defense, primarily at defensive tackle, Clark was traded to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
on September 10, 1962. For the rest of his career, he would only see action as an offensive tackle.
Following one year in the Lone Star state, Clark was traded to the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on April 30, 1963. However, in the first exhibition game with his new team on August 10, Clark suffered a knee injury which never fully recovered during the course of the campaign.
Clark would become a staple at right tackle for six seasons. In the 1964 NFL Championship game against the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, Clark put his talents on display as he neutralized Colts' defensive end and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti
Gino Marchetti
Gino John Marchetti is a former professional American football player in the National Football League. A defensive end, he played in 1952 for the Dallas Texans and from 1953 to 1966 for the Baltimore Colts.-Early years:...
. The end result was a stunning 27-0 Browns victory.
Another solid season by Clark the following year saw the Browns once again reach the NFL title game. However, his 1966 season was disrupted when he suffered a torn biceps late in the year, an injury that forced off-season surgery.
Coaching career
After Clark announced his retirement, he was hired as the Miami Dolphins' offensive line coach on April 8, 1970, working under their new mentor, Don ShulaDon Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
. Shula hired Clark over the phone without an interview following glowing endorsements from Blanton Collier (Browns Head Coach) and 49ers head coach Dick Nolan. Clark's timing proved excellent when Shula helped transform the moribund franchise into a dynasty. During the final two years of his tenure, Clark served as the team's offensive coordinator.
In Miami, Clark built what many consider one of the best offensive lines in NFL history, as Larry Little and Jim Langer are both in the Hall of Fame, while Bob Kuechenberg continues to be nominated every year. This line not only helped set a new all-time rushing record, but also became the first team ever to have two backs rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season, including Hall of Fame running back Larry Csonka. Clark was asked about Csonka's bruising running style, and responded with this great quote. "When Csonka goes on safari, the lions roll up their windows."
During those six years of success in Miami, Clark was under consideration by teams to become their head coach, including his old team, the Browns in 1975. However, his first head coaching opportunity would come one year later, when his original team, the 49ers, hired him on January 13, 1976, making him the league's youngest head coach at the time.
As essentially the team's general manager, one of Clark's early moves was to acquire quarterback Jim Plunkett
Jim Plunkett
James William "Jim" Plunkett is a former American football quarterback who played college football for Stanford University, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and professionally for three National Football League teams: the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. ...
from the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. He also put together a tough defensive line that had 30 sacks in the first six games of the 1976 NFL season
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
. After winning six of the first seven games, the 49ers dropped a 23–20 overtime decision to the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, a defeat that began a tailspin in which the team ended the year with an 8–6 record.
In March 1977, the 49ers' franchise was sold to Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. DeBartolo's ownership came with baggage: General Manager Joe Thomas
Joe Thomas (football coach)
Joe Thomas was a former National Football League general manager and also served as the head coach of the Baltimore Colts for part of the 1974 season....
. Clark was familiar with Thomas from his days with the Dolphins and knew of the chaos and disruption he would bring to the 49ers. DeBartolo offered Clark more money and an extended contract to give up his player personnel duties to Thomas. Standing by his principles and with integrity Clark refused to give up his personnel duties, and was fired on April 6. Clark's actions would ring true as Thomas would go on to oversee the worst stretch of football in the team's history burning through four coaches in three years.
After sitting out the 1977 NFL season
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, Clark found a new challenge when he was hired as head coach of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on January 11, 1978. Clark again had complete personnel control of a team, and finished with a 7–9 record in his first season. However, in 1979, a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Gary Danielson
Gary Danielson
Gary Danielson is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the National Football League . He played for the Detroit Lions from 1976 to 1984 and for the Cleveland Browns in 1985, 1987, and 1988...
during the preseason left the Lions without an experienced signal caller and resulted in a disastrous 2–14 campaign. The one bright spot in that season was that Detroit selected first in the 1980 NFL draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, with the team picking Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Billy Sims
Billy Sims
Billy Sims is a former college football and NFL running back. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1978.-Early years:...
. The resurgent Lions improved by seven games that year, winning five of their first six games and capturing a share of the NFC Central Division title, but a late-season slide caused them to lose a tie-breaker with the Vikings and keep them out of the playoffs.
An 8-8 season in 1981 was followed by a 4-5 record in the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
. However, because of the expanded playoff system resulting from the strike, the Lions reached the postseason. Their appearance would be brief as they dropped a 31-7 opening round decision to the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, who went on to win Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game played on January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the strike-shortened 1982 regular season...
.
A slow start that saw the Lions win just one of their first five games in 1983 quickly changed when the Lions bounced back to capture the division title with a 9-7 record. As a huge underdog against the 49ers, the Lions nearly pulled off a major upset before losing 24-23. Detroit had led 23-17 with five minutes remaining, but San Francisco quickly took back the lead. In the closing seconds, Lions' kicker Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray (football)
Edward Peter Murray is a former National Football League kicker.Murray played college football at Tulane University and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions...
, who had made a 54-yard field goal in the first half, narrowly missed a 43-yard attempt with 11 seconds to go, putting an end to Detroit's season. As Murray lined up to attempt the potential game-winning field goal, on the sidelines Clark put his hands together in an apparent prayer (the "prayer" was replayed often in the next week).
Clark's final year saw the Lions collapse after a career-ending knee injury to Sims, finishing with a 4-11-1 mark. On December 19, 1984, the inevitable resulted when Clark was dismissed, a move that kept him out of football for the next five years until his return as Director of Player Personnel for the Dolphins in February 1990. Five years later, Clark was again hired as offensive line coach of the Dolphins, but the tenure lasted only one year after Shula was replaced by Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
. Out of football for two years, Clark resurfaced as an assistant at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1998, but resigned at the conclusion of that season.
Clark returned to the Detroit Lions organization in 1999 as a special advisor. He died on September 16, 2009 from bone cancer that spread into his liver and lungs.
Personal
His son, Monte "Bryan" Clark, played football at Michigan StateMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
External links
- Lubinger, Bill & Peticca, Mike. "Monte Clark, Browns tackle in 1960s, dies at 72," The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), Thursday, September 17, 2009.
- Darlington, Jeff. "Former Miami Dolphins assistant coach Monte Clark dies at 72," The Miami Herald, Thursday, September 17, 2009.
- Monarrez, Carlos. "Former Lions coach Monte Clark dies at 72," Detroit Free Press, Thursday, September 17, 2009.
- Monarrez, Carlos. "Monte Clark, 1937–2009: Lions coach beloved for humor, savvy," Detroit Free Press, Friday, September 18, 2009.
- O'Hara, Mike. "Late Monte Clark respected in all quarters," The Detroit News, Friday, September 18, 2009.