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- Val T.
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Rochester senior Grant Clark has always loved football, but once he met Robert Mathis, he learned football is not all about running over the man across from you.
Armed with technique as well as size and speed, Clark has signed with the University of Indianapolis to continue his football and academic careers.
Clark played both tight end and defensive end for the Zebras. Clark made the Indiana Football Coaches Association All-Region IV team as an “Offensive At-Large” selection, and he made first-team All-TRC as a defensive lineman.
Clark said his freshman year at Rochester was a “wake-up call” in terms of how to approach the game.
“I remember the JV games were rough for me,” Clark said. “I remember getting beat up in practice. I had really good mentors though. Brady Beck and Alex Deming, they taught me a lot of stuff. That was definitely my wake-up call, definitely that a time I knew there’s a lot more to football than just going to try and tackle the quarterback, and I had a lot more responsibilities.”
Clark described the recruiting process as “long” and “extensive.” He said he made “dozens and dozens” of college visits, both for camps during the summer and even in-season visits on Saturdays in the fall.
He said he received “over 1,000” messages from different schools around the country after he sent out a highlight video of him. He said UIndy was the most enthusiastic.
Chris Keevers finished his seventh season as UIndy coach last fall. UIndy went 11-2 last season and 8-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. UIndy is 39-8 over the last four years.
“I enjoyed the whole entire process,” Clark said. “I got to meet a lot of good coaches and got to see a lot of good schools. UIndy stuck out to me the most. I’ve had nothing said about it but good things. Obviously, with it being Division II and them having all the accolades they do, it’s just a great school and a great football team and a great program. Chris Keevers, he’s a great coach, and my recruiting coach is awesome, so I just loved the whole situation.”
Clark said he has always enjoyed football.
“I’ve been playing football ever since I was a kid,” Clark said. “I fell in love with the game. My dad was always the coach growing up. Ever since flag football, I fell in love with it.”
Mathis played for the Colts from 2003-16. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and finished his NFL career with 123 sacks and 52 forced fumbles.
Clark met him at a camp during the summer after his freshman year. This past summer, Mathis visited Rochester to work with Clark and all of the defensive linemen.
“Coach (Ron) Shaffer advised me to go to a SOS Camp,” Clark said. “And he was there, and I was amazed by it because he’s just a heck of a dude. I loved being coached by him. And then to have the honor of him coming to our school this summer, it was just a dream come true to be honest with you. He taught me so much about the game, and I’m a lot better football player now.”
Clark also plays basketball at Rochester, and he said he hurt his knee at a summer basketball camp. He played all 12 football games with a right knee injury before it was surgically repaired after Thanksgiving. He missed six basketball games.
Clark said he is now “100 percent” and that his main focus is conditioning.
“I was concerned for sure,” Clark said. “I knew I had to overcome it and keep working, and I knew as long as I worked through it, I would get to this day.”
Clark said he wants to major in business while specializing in accounting. He wants to open a real estate firm after college.
“That’s a big goal of mine,” Clark said. “I love the idea of real estate, and I want to be an entrepreneur when I grow up, so I think it will fit me well.”
