Age: 28
6th
season in pro football, 3rd with Cowboys
College: Colorado
Height: 6’0” Weight: 215
Prelude:
Clarke was
the first African-American to play varsity football at Colorado and, in a
run-oriented single-wing offense, caught 20 passes for 532 yards, an average of
26.6 yards per catch. He was chosen as a future pick by the Cleveland Browns in
the fifth round of the 1956 NFL draft and joined the club in ’57. In three
years as a backup with the Browns, Clarke caught 10 passes for 212 yards and he
moved on to the expansion Cowboys for 1960. He broke out in 1961 with 41
catches for 919 yards and a league-leading 22.4-yard average while scoring nine
touchdowns.
1962 Season Summary
Appeared in 12
of 14 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 47
[18, tied with Jim Brown & Alex Webster]
Most
receptions, game – 10 (for 241 yds.) vs. Washington 9/16
Yards – 1043 [5]
Most yards,
game – 241 (on 10 catches) vs. Washington 9/16
Average gain
– 22.2 [1]
TDs – 14 [1]
200-yard
receiving games – 1
100-yard
receiving games – 4
Scoring
TDs – 14 [4]
Points – 84 [7]
Cowboys went 5-8-1
to finish fifth in the NFL Eastern Conference while ranking second in the
league in touchdowns (51) and scoring (398 points, tied with the New York
Giants).
Aftermath:
Clarke
followed up in 1963 with 43 catches for 833 yards (19.4 avg.) and 10
touchdowns. He achieved a career-high with 65 receptions in ’64, for 973 yards
(15.0 avg.) and five TDs, and received first-team All-NFL recognition from the
Associated Press and New York Daily News. Shifted to tight end in 1965, Clarke
caught 41 passes for 682 yards (16.6 avg.) and four TDs. His production
declined sharply in 1966 and ’67, his last two seasons. Overall, Clarke ended
up with 291 catches for 5426 yards (18.6 avg.) and 50 touchdowns, with 281
receptions for 5214 yards and all of the TDs coming with the Cowboys. His 14
touchdown catches in 1962 remained the club record until 2007.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
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