Sept. 24, 2004
#1 Jared Clark
Senior, 6-4, 250
Tight End
Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney
Jared Clark is in his fifth season with the Irish and is a member of Notre Dame’s deep group of tight ends. A talented athlete who came to Notre Dame as a quarterback, Clark made the switch to tight end during the spring of 2002. A member of the Irish special teams, Clark has played in 28 games during his career, making 22 catches for 246 yards and an 11.2 yards-per-catch average. He had a career-best four catches for 28 yards in Notre Dame’s season-opening win in 2003 versus Washington State. GameDay Magazine’s Gary Paczesny gives Irish fans a chance to get to know Jared Clark.
Paczesny: What is your major and why the interest in that field of studies?
Clark: I’m majoring in Business Management because I really like to deal with people.
Paczesny: What is the toughest class you’ve had and what makes it so tough?
Clark: Managerial economics was my toughest class and it was hard basically because it is the last class that I needed to graduate.
Paczesny: What made you pick Notre Dame over other schools that were interested in you?
Clark: My top three choices were Notre Dame, Georgia and Miami. I picked Notre Dame because of the history and what this University does with its football program. What really attracted me to come here was the team chemistry and how most of us are very similar people.
Paczesny: To date, what has been the highlight of your Notre Dame career?
Clark: My highlight would be making a catch against Florida State. It was a blast because my whole family and friends were there. I grew up not liking Florida State, so that was really special for me.
Paczesny: Who were your sports idols growing up as a kid and what made you look up to them?
Clark: Growing up in Florida, I was a Florida Gator fan, so my brother and I really liked Emmitt Smith. He never was the fastest guy or the biggest guy but he always made things happen.
Paczesny: What is the one thing in your life that you cannot live without?
Clark: I can’t live without my family. I am very close to my family. I really don’t know what I would do without them.
Paczesny: Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?
Clark: That’s an interesting question, because the only superstition that I have, is not to have any superstitions.. I try not to do things the same way ever, but its more out of habit that I do things the same way before games.
Paczesny: How do you think you have grown as a person since coming to Notre Dame?
Clark: I think I’ve grown in leaps and bounds. I am much more responsible and dependable. Since I got here, growing up year after year, you learn to become more dependable.
Paczesny: What is your most embarrassing moment in sports?
Clark: When I was in high school, I played quarterback and I had a long run with no one around me. On my way to the end zone, I dropped the ball out of bounds.
Paczesny: What is your favorite movie?
Clark: My favorite movie is Tombstone. I think that Doc Holliday does a great job in that movie.
Paczesny: What is the toughest place that you’ve ever played a college football game?
Clark: The toughest place I’ve played in is Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State University. Another tough place is Memorial Stadium at Nebraska. We played there my sophomore year and it was a loud, hostile environment.
Paczesny: What CD do you have in your collection that would surprise people?
Clark: Jimmy Buffett Ballads. I’m a big Jimmy Buffett fan.
Paczesny: When your football career is over, what do you see yourself doing?
Clark: I would like to go back to Sarasota, find a job there and stay close to my family. I would like to get back near the water, get a boat and raise a family.
Paczesny: Describe what it’s like on game day and playing at Notre Dame Stadium?
Clark: It’s something that you never get used to. Every time that you run down that tunnel on to the field and see the crowd cheering, it’s a dream come true. It’s really hard to explain. You really have to experience it in order to know what it feels like. You really can’t put in words what it’s like out there.
Paczesny: What is your favorite thing about playing for Notre Dame?
Clark: My favorite things are the people and my teammates. Billy Palmer, Greg Pauly and Mike Goolsby, we’ve all had a great time together. We’ve had so much fun together whether it’s playing football or not.