Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 2, 1995 TAG: 9511020039
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
Clark, who has signed a letter of intent to play for North Carolina State University, is the son of Rick Clark, a sports agent and former collegiate and professional football player.
``My father told me a lot about the recruiting process,'' Clark said. ``He told me that a lot of coaches were going to tell me things that I wanted to hear, and that I needed to listen carefully to what they said.
``He sort of formed a wall around me because he knows the business. He would give me a lot of advice, but he always told me that in the end I was going to have to be the one to decide which college to sign with.''
Ultimately, his choice was to head south to Raleigh, N.C., and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Clark will be the most recent member of a Roanoke Valley District alumni association in the ACC that also includes Ronde and Tiki Barber of the University of Virginia and Cave Spring.
``The Barbers left Cave Spring the year before I moved here from Lynchburg,'' Clark said. ``But I grew up playing football back home with [University of Virginia player and former Jefferson Forest star] Anthony Poindexter, so I have some friends in the ACC.''
Clark said that he initially came to the attention of Wolfpack coach Mike O'Cain at a summer football camp held at the university.
``Things sort of fell into place for me,'' Clark said. ``I had planned to attend a couple of camps that summer to let coaches get a look at me. State just happened to be the first one. I just had a great week at North Carolina State's camp.''
O'Cain was so taken with Clark's performance, which included a 4.37 second clocking in the 40-yard dash, that the coach suggested a meeting in his office on the final day of camp.
``He told me that I had really impressed him,'' Clark said. ``Coach O'Cain said that he thought I had a chance to be an excellent football player, and that I had good speed and good moves.''
O'Cain offered a scholarship then but Clark heeded prior advice from his father and told O'Cain that he would have to think about it a little more.
``I let them know about three or four weeks later that I wanted to sign with them,'' Clark said. ``They had shown me everything that I wanted to see. They seemed really interested in me and answered all my questions. They weren't doing it all just to recruit me, they really wanted me there.''
Clark will be used primarily as a defensive back at North Carolina State, a position he says he will be comfortable with.
``I like defense better,'' Clark said. ``I like the fact that you get to do the hitting instead of getting hit all the time. I'm not a really big guy. I'm 5-foot-11 and I probably only weigh 170 pounds.''
Pulaski County coach Joel Hicks thinks Clark can handle himself.
``Jawan is a good player,'' Hicks said. ``He's got a great work ethic and a great attitude. He's a good leader that does everything you ask of him. He's going to be a good player at North Carolina State.''
by CNB