Flank Clarke—Unknown Star

By John Turney 

Trivia question: From 1961 through 1964, who led the NFL in touchdown receptions?

Hall-of-Famer Tommy McDonald? Wrong.

Raymond Berry, the Colts' Hall-of-Fame split end? Uh-uh.

All-Pro Del Shofner? Incorrect.

How about Hall-of-Fame tight end Mike Ditka? He'd just exploded on the NFL scene. Nope.

Well, then, who?

Frank Clarke. Who?

Exactly.

In his first four years as a starter, Dallas Cowboys' receiver Frank Clarke caught 38 touchdown passes, or five more than the next NFLer. What's more, only Art Powell had more in the pass-happy AFL with 40, while Houston's Charley Hennigan tied Clarke with 38.

So why don't more people know about Frank Clarke? Another good question. He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1960 and was hurt in the franchise's initial season. But from 1961-64 he averaged 49 catches, 942 yards, 9-1/2 touchdowns and 19.2 yards per catch.

He was even an All-Pro once. Yet he's a relative unknown. The question is: Why?

Well, the Cowboys weren't America's Team in their nascent years, so that's part of it. He also didn't sustain productivity much past 1964, when Dallas was starting to win. So that's part of it, too. Plus, he didn't have a notable start to his career.

Clarke was a fifth-round choice in the 1956 draft when the Cleveland Browns took him as a "future" pick. But in his three seasons as a Brown he didn't play much. When Dallas chose him in the 1960 expansion draft, he was hurt early and missed almost half the games.

Nevertheless, when he finally got on the field he stretched it. In limited action in his three years in Cleveland and first one in Dallas (from 1957-60) he caught 19 passes for 502 yards (a 26.4-yard average) and three touchdowns.

A prototype end of his era, he was 6-1, 210 pounds and fast ...and he proved it when he had the chance, leading the NFL in yards per catch in 1961-62 and touchdown catches with 14 in 1962.

As a flanker his first few seasons in Dallas, Clarke put up gaudy numbers. Then he was moved to split end in 1964 to make room for McDonald, whom Dallas acquired to replace the retiring Billy Howton. However, Howton was a split end and McDonald a flanker. So Clarke was the one moved.

With the arrival of Bob Hayes in 1965, there was another change. Rather than move Clarke back to flanker, the Cowboys switched him to tight end and sent starter Pettis Norman to the bench. Though Clarke had 41 catches and was second on the team in TD catches, it was clear he was out of position.

And so the experiment lasted only a year.

In 1966 Norman got his position back and Clarke became his backup, while Hayes and flankers Pete Gent and Buddy Dial were the primary outside threats. He played the same role in 1967, but with even less playing time with the arrival of Lance Rentzel, and after the season called it a career at the age of 33.

So, now, one more question: Who moves an All-Pro outside receiver to tight end? Clarke was 215 pounds by that time, and while tight ends weren't huge, 215 pounds was still light for the position. To be fair, Dallas played more formations (even single-back) than others, so Clarke sometimes was in the slot. But make no mistake; He was usually on the line and often blocking -- even pass blocking - and not in a pass pattern.

Perhaps coach Tom Landry wanted a speed advantage at all receiving positions. Even at 30, Clarke would've been one of the fastest tight ends, while Hayes -- an Olympic gold medalist -- was by far the fastest split end and Dial, who was just 28, still had speed and averaged 21.6 yards per catch.

Only Gent didn't have elite speed.

In any event, Clarke went from someone who caught more touchdowns than his peers to an afterthought in the Cowboys' offense.

Then he was gone.

Clarke had been a trailblazer as the first African-American player to letter at the University of Colorado. As a single-wing end, he averaged 26.6 yards a reception and had seven touchdowns on 20 catches in his two seasons in Boulder.

He played in two bowl games, the first vs. Clemson in the Orange Bowl after the Tigers initially refused to play because Colorado had two black players, Clarke and John Wooten. To their credit, Colorado officials refused to back down and showed up in Miami, cowering Clemson into playing.

Then the Buffalo proceeded to win the game.

Clarke was a trailblazer in sports media as well. He was the first black sports TV anchor in the Dallas media and the first black analyst for CBS. He later spent years in pursuit of higher consciences and serenity, living and leading a commune life.

He was a complex man. But on the field, he got it done.

His 14 TD catches were a Cowboys' single-season record until 2007 when Terrell Owens broke it, but it's important to remember that Owens played 15 games of a 16-game season, while Clarke played 14. Clarke also caught touchdown passes in seven consecutive games, a franchise mark tied by Hayes, Owens and Dez Bryant.

For four seasons in the 1960s, Frank Clarke had the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL and the second-most in pro football. He had the second-most receiving yards in the NFL and fifth most in pro football, too, and was second in the NFL in yards per catch and fifth in the AFL-NFL combined.

The legacy of Frank Clarke lives on. His name should, too. Frank Clarke is worth remembering.