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Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Where are they now?
Western Arkansas, AR
By: Bob Stephens
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Photo(s) By: TWC
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Clark Moore
Clark Moore, one of the best football players in Van Buren history, is ecstatic to remain connected to the program.
For the last two years, the former Arkansas Razorback linebacker has been the radio color commentator on Van Buren broadcasts.
“I enjoy that so much,” Moore said. “I get so riled up doing it. I’m a real competitive person and Van Buren football is really important to me.”
Moore, 25, is a 2001 Van Buren graduate. He’s been married for three years to the former Amanda Schwerdtfeger, a 2000 Fayetteville High graduate who was an Arkansas pom-pon member when the couple met. They are expecting their first child, a boy, in September.
Moore hopes the arrival of his first child doesn’t keep him away from the microphone too long. He doesn’t like missing games, whether it involves the Pointers or the Razorbacks.
“Doing the radio is a lot more difficult than people think,” Moore said. “I’m pretty objective. I’m an honest guy.”
Those attributes serve Moore well for his day job, too. He’s a vice-president at First Community Bank of Crawford County in Van Buren, doing commercial loans.
“I started full-time when I turned in my helmet,” Moore said. “I like it. I like working with people. Getting new business is competitive and I like that, too.”
Matt Jones couldn’t hide the pride he felt for his former high school and college teammate.
“Clark is just doing great, with a good job, a great wife and a baby on the way,” said Jones, who is a wide receiver for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. “Clark’s a good dude, one of my best friends. I stay at his house some when I’m home.”
Both Moore and Jones fondly remember their time together at Van Buren. They met in fourth grade and were teammates in baseball and on All-Star teams.
“Clark was a tremendous athlete,” Jones said. “He’s been a winner in everything he does.”
The 6-foot-2 Moore weighed 246 pounds while earning four letters as a Razorback linebacker. He redshirted his first season but quickly became a key contributor the next season. As a redshirt sophomore, Moore dislocated his right knee against North Texas and missed more than two months before returning for the Independence Bowl victory against Missouri.
He underwent microfracture knee surgery following his junior season and was never quite the same player.
“It’s unfortunate he had injuries that hampered him,” Jones said. “He was the best linebacker in the state our senior year in high school. I think he definitely could’ve been an NFL player; he was just such a great athlete. He could’ve been a tight end or a center if he wanted. I still think he could’ve been a deep snapper after he got hurt.”
How did Moore describe himself as a player?
“I was smart. I had a nose for the ball, in my opinion,” Moore said. “I had good eyes and read my keys. My preparation was good. I wasn’t the fastest but I was one of the quickest to the ball.
“I was a tough run-stopper. I could get to the ball.”
Moore said injuries took some of the fun out of his Razorback experience but the camaraderie and travel to Southeastern Conference stadiums are memories he’ll always treasure.
“It was a dream-come-true to be a Razorback,” Moore said. “My room was decorated with Razorback stuff from day one. I’m an ‘A Club’ member and went to letterman’s weekend in April and met the new coaching staff. It’s a new atmosphere and, to me, it’s a good change for our school. They have a lot of coaches with professional experience. The team will be disciplined and fundamentally sound.”
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