Ryan Clark’s son, Jordan, was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent. He played six seasons in college as a defensive back, just like his father. However, Jordan has had some rough practices that have tested him mentally so far in the NFL.
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Who doesn’t have bad days in training camp? But as an undrafted player, the doubts can start to go through one’s head. Questions like, “Am I good enough?” or “Will they go back to why this is why I wasn’t drafted?” start to arise.
Rather than share those questions and thoughts with Clark, though, Jordan has chosen to keep them to himself and process them internally. Here’s how Clark has been responding to that.
“You know what I told him? ‘Okay, you hit me up when you need me,’” Clark shared on Green Light with Chris Long.
Now, some parents might view Clark’s response as a bad one. They could argue that he’s neglecting his child when he needs advice. But don’t worry — he knows what he’s doing.
How do we know that Clark knows what he’s doing? Well, because he was once an undrafted free agent himself, and he turned that opportunity into a 13-year career. He’s been in his son’s shoes before and understands that sometimes you need space to process, just like he once did.
“The good thing about us is that we know what that day is like. We know what that experience is, we know that we gotta process it on our own. Especially, I know what it’s like to be a rookie undrafted free agent. Even though [Jets head coach] Aaron Glenn wants you here, you’re going to get a chance to compete, all these things. It’s still pressure on him,” Clark said.
It’s indeed a ton of pressure on Jordan’s shoulders, not just because he was undrafted, but because the proof is in the pudding with his father. Now, he has to live up to expectations that other undrafted players don’t face: the expectation of making the roster like Clark did.
But at the end of the day, Dad finds it cool to watch his son process the bad days and build his confidence.
“So, it’s been really cool to watch him process it and to watch him work. And to watch his confidence grow as it did throughout the offseason. To be like, wait, no, I do belong here. I did earn this opportunity… I’m just happy for him.”
In his final season of college at Notre Dame, Jordan registered an interception while playing in all 16 games. He also racked up 5 pass deflections and 37 total tackles. Furthermore, the fact that the Irish played in the National Championship gives him a big-game pedigree.
But can Jordan make it in the NFL like his father? That’s a question we’re still waiting to have answered. Some may think, Clark did it, so why can’t he? Well, hopefully, we’ve helped you understand why.
There are still expectations that have fallen on Jordan’s shoulders, unfortunate as that may be. Still, he can turn that into a positive, like his father did, if he puts his head down and works through the tough times.
