Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 4, 1993 TAG: 9304040234
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
CLARK: MONEY ISN'T EVERYTHING
Green wasn't the only thing that made Gary Clark change NFL colors.The former Pulaski County High and James Madison University star said Saturday general lack of respect for him by Washington Redskins management was the primary reason he decided to sign a three-year, $6 million deal with the Phoenix Cardinals.
"It wasn't so much the money but a matter of respect," said Clark, in town for his Charity Huddle '93 fund-raiser that benefits his summer sports camp. "It kind of hurt me. I've been in Washington for eight years and I'm the most productive receiver in Redskins' history. For [management] to feel that way about me, it hurts."
Clark, whose deal with Phoenix includes a $1.6 million signing bonus and will pay him $4.4 million in salary over the next three seasons, said the Redskins' top offer was $1 million for next season, up from the $850,000 he was paid last season.
"One million is like a 10 percent raise for me," Clark said. "Everybody gets more than a 10 percent raise. That told me the Washington Redskins didn't want Gary Clark and that they were headed in a different direction.
"If they had offered me $1.5 million at the start [of negotiations], I would still be in Washington. Now, I wouldn't go there for $3 million. They tried to disrespect people and tried to play games with me financially. With me it's `you respect me, I respect you.' "
Clark said the Redskins' ongoing attempt to win the Reggie White sweepstakes helped push him and three other teammates - Martin Mayhew, Fred Stokes and Jumpy Geathers - out the door. In order for the 'Skins to sign White and stay under the NFL's $26 million salary cap, somebody had to go.
"Washington is going in a different direction with different plans for different people," Clark said. "It looks like people like myself and Art Monk don't seem to be in their plans. Their main goal is to sign White and to do that they have to cut their budget. They're losing some players they probably didn't want to let go because they couldn't sign 'em at the bargain-basement price they wanted to.
"They may pay for it little bit, though. Players on a team tend to get a little bit upset when you start paying more attention to a player on another team than you do your own players.
"Reggie White will be a great addition. He's one of the best linemen in the league. But there a lot of guys in Washington who are good defensive players. Fred Stokes is a great defensive player. He has a Super Bowl ring to prove it and more playoff wins than Reggie White ever thought about having. If he's the saviour, then he's the saviour. If he's not, he's not. I've got two Super Bowl wins and about 10 playoff games under my belt, so I'm not too worried about it."
After eight years of being one of the main riders in the Redskins' Posse, Clark said he is looking forward to riding into the Arizona sunset.
"I really love Phoenix," said Clark, who recently bought a home in the area. "I get along well with [Cardinals coach and ex-Redskins assistant] Joe Bugel and I want to help him turn that team into a winner.
"I'm going to be the input of the offense, as far as the passing game goes. Everybody wants to be the go-to guy at this part of their career and I'm going to be that guy in Phoenix.
"I told Joe that I would have to get the ball 48 out of 50 plays to sign me. He probably told a little fib there, but we had an agreement. If I get the ball 47 out of 50, I guess I get to raise a little Cain with Joe.
"This all comes down to one thing, though. I'll be playing for an organization that wants Gary Clark as part of its organization. It wasn't that way in Washington."
Clark, 32, said he has only one regret about being one of the early winners in the NFL's free-agent lottery.
"Free agency should have come about four years earlier so I'd been younger and got to enjoy it longer," he said.
His biggest problem Saturday was trying to explain his decision to his hometown friends, almost all of whom are Redskins backers.
"The people around here are going to be Redskin fans until they die," Clark said. "My parents are still Redskin fans. I know that and I understand that. But I think they all will be pulling for Gary Clark to do well in Phoenix."