Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 27, 1992 TAG: 9201270117
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK SPORTS COLUMNIST
DATELINE: MINNEAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium
CLARK SAYS THIS RING IS FOR HIM
Gary Clark became $36, 00 richer Sunday night, but money isn't everything."The great thing about catching a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl is that they let you keep the ball," said Clark, the Washington Redskins' receiver with Virginia roots. "It's the only game they let you do that in."
Clark's seven receptions, including a 30-yard, third-quarter TD, helped Washington rout Buffalo 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI. It was the second Super Bowl victory in seven seasons with the Redskins for Clark, who played at Pulaski County High and James Madison University.
He caught a scoring pass from Doug Williams in the Super Bowl XXII romp over Denver. He gave his ring from that Super Bowl to his parents.
"One reason this win is big is I'm keeping this ring," he said. "I put the footballs in glass cases. These are the ones you don't ever want to forget."
Immediately after the game, Clark refused to speak to the media despite his stellar game. He eventually went to the interview room in the bowels of the Metrodome, and leaned on a podium and answered questions.
"I like talking to you guys, but a game like this kind of drains you," he said. "Right now, I'm just tired."
Early in the game, Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien was going to Clark's senior "Posse" member, Art Monk. Clark, whose emotions overflow regularly, made note of his openness to Rypien and coach Joe Gibbs.
"I make so much noise that they probably just tune me out," Clark said. "But Mark knew I was there. Sometimes, we just go out and run a play that really isn't in the playbook. We don't tell Coach Gibbs though."
Rypien's 18-for-33 night, for 292 yards, wasn't an indication of game-long accuracy. Monk seemed to get the Redskins' quarterback on target, and then Clark carried the load.
"Art's unbelievable," said Clark of the future Hall of Famer, who needs only 19 catches to become the NFL career leader in receptions, passing ex-Seattle star Steve Largent's 819. "He made some great catches, jumping catches, pulling the ball in, on what were just OK balls early."
Clark's touchdown came on a corner route when Buffalo's defense bit inside .
"We had run the same play inside all game long," Rypien said of his 12th touchdown pass to Clark in the 'Skins' 17-2 season. "This time Gary made a little head fake, then took it to the corner. We set it up perfectly."
That touchdown pushed Washington's lead to three touchdowns after the Bills had come out early in the second half and scored 10 points.
"We were disappointed a bit that we didn't score on those two opportunities in the first quarter," Clark said. "We came up empty-handed, but after we got 17 points in the second quarter, we knew we could be Super Bowl champs with error-free football.
"They pressured Mark early, but it was just like the other games this season. He answered every challenge every time. He's a big guy, a strong guy."
Rypien and Clark will head today to Hawaii for Pro Bowl appearances Sunday.
"Maybe we'll try that touchdown play out there again," Rypien said.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL