Derrick Clark, who played in the NFL for the Denver Broncos and in other professional leagues, has died at 54.
His alma mater, Evangel University in Missouri, revealed his death last month, but the news didn’t truly circulate until this week. A cause of death has not been revealed.
Clark remains the all-time leading rusher in the history of Evangel football, an NAIA program he helped lead to a postseason berth in 1993 after transferring out of Florida State.
‘Evangel Athletics mourns the loss of Hall of Fame football player, Derrick Clark,’ read a school statement. ‘Derrick was a member of the 1992 and 1993 Evangel Football teams, where he became the all-time leading rusher in school history in just two seasons.
‘Clark was signed as a free agent by the Denver Broncos in 1994. … The [two-time] NAIA All-American, Clark was named to the Evangel Hall of Fame in the fall of 2021. Our prayers are with the Clark family, during this time of loss and mourning.’
He was at his best during a 1993 game against Missouri Valley, rushing for 300 yards and four touchdowns.
Although he played in only one NFL season, Derrick Clark still scored three touchdowns
Before playing for Denver in 1994 (left), Clark starred at NAIA Evander University and led the program to a postseason berth in 1993. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2021
Clark signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 1994, which proved to be a disappointing campaign for John Elway & Co. But after seeing limited game action over the first 14 weeks of the 7-9 season, Clark managed to score three touchdowns in his final two appearances of 1994.
Clark had a few stints on NFL practice squads over the next years, but mostly saw action in NFL Europe, where he scored 21 touchdowns over five seasons with the Rhein Fire.
He’d help Rhein win the 1998 World Bowl and later played for the Orlando Rage of the XFL.
Inducted into the Evangel University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021, Clark remained involved in football long after retirement. Not only did he co-own the Daytona Beach Broncos, a semi-professional team, but he was also part of a football training and mentorship program known as Xtreme Leverage.
‘Mourning the loss of one [of] the greatest players I ever coached,’ former Evangel football coach Keith Barefield posted on X. ‘Two-time All American, Hall of Famer Evangel Football Derrick Clark. Grateful for his friendship & proud of the Godly man he grew to be. A true “Crusader.” You will be missed!’
