Derrick Clark Sr., a former Denver Broncos fullback who lined up behind Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, has died. He was 54.
Clark passed away on Feb. 19, according to a report from 96.9-FM in Springfield, Missouri. No cause of death was shared in the report.
A one-season NFL contributor with a much bigger football story, Clark carved out a unique path to the league — and then kept piling up touchdowns long after most fans stopped watching.
Clark’s NFL résumé is short but real: 16 games with the Broncos in 1994, including four starts. He ran the ball 56 times for 168 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns. He also caught nine passes for 47 yards and contributed on special teams, returning three kickoffs for 34 yards.
In other words, he wasn’t just “on the roster.” He touched the ball, got into the end zone, and spent a season taking handoffs in a Broncos offense led by Elway.
Before the NFL, Clark was a standout at Evangel University — an NAIA program in Springfield — and became one of only three players from the school to reach the league. He was originally a Florida high school product from Apopka and even transferred from Florida State before finding his footing at Evangel.
He went undrafted, then reportedly played his way into Denver’s backfield as a 23-year-old rookie — the kind of uphill climb that usually ends long before training camp does.
Clark’s pro career didn’t end when his time in Denver did. He spent time on the Broncos’ practice squad in 1996 and later with the Oakland Raiders in 1997, but his biggest production came outside the NFL.
From 1996 to 2000, Clark played five seasons with the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe, where he scored 21 touchdowns — a league-leading total — and helped the Fire win the 1998 World Bowl Championship. He also finished as the league’s all-time No. 2 rusher at the time.
Then, in 2001, he joined the Orlando Rage in the XFL and led the team with seven touchdowns and 395 rushing yards.
After retiring, Clark returned to Florida and became co-owner of the Daytona Beach Broncos, an adult developmental league team.
He was inducted into the Evangel University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021 and was recognized as the school’s only two-time first-team NAIA All-American. He finished his college career with 3,507 total yards, which was a school record at the time.
Clark is survived by his wife, Tamara Roundtree Clark, and his children.
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