Darryl Clack

“Football is a sport that takes dedication. You have to be willing to not only take the positives but also realize there are negatives that come with this game and to not let that hold you back but always strive to get better.”

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us tell us who you are and where you’re from?

A. I’m Darryl Clack. I’m from San Antonio, TX.

Q. How was your experience playing for Dallas Cowboys?

A. My experience playing for the Dallas Cowboys was a dream come true. I was actually living out my childhood dream. It was an honor to be a part of the Dallas Cowboys and to be on the same field with players I grew up watching. Tony Dorsett, Tony Hill, Too Tall Jones, Randy White, Danny White, and Everson Walls are a few of many, and being part of the Cowboys family with Roger Staubach, Drew Pearson, Bob “The Bullet” Hayes, Ron Springs, and Robert Newhouse was the cherry on top.

Q. Tell us about your new memoir “Hear My Story Before I Forget” and the motivation behind it?

A. “Hear My Story Before I Forget” is my therapeutic journey that chronicles my journey of my life from college and pro football to life after football, my traumatic fight to stay alive and my renewed strength in Christ. I wrote this memoir to bring awareness to TTP and mental health in hopes that my story will encourage and inspire people going through or coping with similar ailments. I wrote it so that parents of aspiring football players will know the signs of concussion, and I also feel that it’s my duty to make the readers aware of available treatments and therapy options.

Q. You also had a near death experience and life threating illness that you were fighting can you tell us more about it and how you never gave up?

A. On October 10, 2016, my life changed drastically. While on vacation with my family I was rushed to Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, CA, after suffering a stroke and falling into a coma brought on by acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP), a rare blood disorder where blood clots form in small blood vessels throughout the body. The clots can limit or block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body & organs, such as the brain, kidneys, and heart. While in a coma I could hear friends and family telling me to fight. And that’s what I did. When I awoke from the coma, I had a lot of work to do. I had to learn how to walk and talk again. I was determined to get my life back, so I pushed hard as if I was working out on a football field. It paid off because eventually I was released from the hospital as an outpatient and stayed in therapy for months until my doctor released me.

Q. Also, can you tell us about “SportMetric” and how you got started?

A. SportMetric is a company that emphasizes education, community involvement, and athletics for the youth. We’re devoted to helping studentathletes achieve success in three key areas of their lives—Academics, Community involvement, and Athletics— three keys that form the ACA model of excellence. I attended a Dyslexia fundraising event hosted by a former NFL player friend. During the event, I had a casual conversation with a guy where we discussed our lives, goals, where we were from, and more. He was a Dallas Cowboy fan from Texas and a retired army man who worked in the mental health field. As we talked, I realized we had many similarities. I’m a Cowboy fan and former player, I’m from Texas, and I’m an army brat. Through our conversation, we realized that we were both interested in hosting youth football camps, and speaking

to kids about being good athletes, focusing on education, and being involved in the community. Through many more conversations, and after meeting one of his counterparts from his job, SportMetric LLC was born with Darius Perry and Josh Jakubczak as co-founders.

Q. What is the next big step for you?

A. My next step is to continue to be an advocate for TTP and mental illness. I want to reach out to people and inspire them and educate them on the importance of those illnesses and to also break the stigma on mental illness. I also want to continue to help youth athletes in getting to the next level of their lives with education, community involvement and athletics.

Q. Tell us some words of inspiration you can provide to others that want to be a football player?

A. For athletes who want to become a football player, you must be willing to put in the work. Football is a sport that takes dedication. You have to be willing to not only take the positives but also realize there are negatives that come with this game and to not let that hold you back but always strive to get better. Set your goals, set a plan, put in the work, and never lose focus.

Q. Are there any projects you’re working on right now?

A. Yes, my second book, the DC42 foundation and I’m continuing to build SportMetric, LLC.

Q. What was one of your biggest challenges being a football player?

A. One of my biggest challenges was staying healthy. To keep my position and stay relevant, I would play injured. I played with a separated shoulder for a season and eventually had surgery to repair it. I would play with pain in both of my knees, ankles, and cracked ribs. Because of these injuries, I currently have arthritis in both knees, both shoulders and my lower back.

Q. Tell us your biggest accomplishments being a football player?

A. In College at Arizona State University I was awarded first team all PAC 10 honors and led the PAC 10 in all - purpose yards. My second accomplishment was getting drafted by my favorite team the Dallas Cowboys.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. IG @dclack42 and @ darrylclack FB dclack42 FB darrylclack42 Twitter @dclack42 Darrylclack.com