INDIANAPOLIS – First, Bud Clark pulled off an electrifying pick-six in against Bill Belichick in the legendary former New England Patriots coach’s debut with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Then, he got a hit in, too – albeit a different type than he’s accustomed to doling out.
The TCU safety soaked in his critical interception in last September’s season opener, holding the ball out as he strutted into the end zone on a 25-yard return. The second-quarter turnover turned out to be a harbinger of the evening to come. The Horned Frogs rolled to a 48-14 rout, playing spoiler and seizing the sizable spotlight afforded to Belichick.
Clark chose to extend his celebration into the postgame festivities.
‘Belchick gotta call for his girlfriend,’ Clark said on an Instagram Live session, referencing Jordon Hudson, the 24-year-old girlfriend of the coach who had loomed large in Belichick’s transition to Chapel Hill. ‘He sad.’
Now on the doorstep of realizing a football dream, Clark can look back on his playful moment and still smile.
‘Just having a little fun,’ Clark said Feb. 26 at the NFL scouting combine. ‘He’s a great coach. I didn’t mean any harm by it at all, but he’s got a young girlfriend, so I figure why not?’
That type of jab comes easily to Clark. Touting himself as a ‘fluent’ trash-talker who can effortlessly get under his opponent’s skin, the roving defensive back relishes throwing foes off their game. He credits his mom for both making him a ‘born killer’ and bringing out his antagonist side.
‘I’ve had a couple times where a guy gets riled up, and it’s like, you’re not even worried about the ball and the ball’s coming toward you,’ Clark said. ‘You’re just upset.’
And if Clark can make a play on one of those passes whizzing past, all the better.
The sixth-year senior picked off 15 passes during his time in Fort Worth. That kind of playmaking range is probably to be expected of the former standout high school center fielder from Alexandria, Louisiana. It’s also made him one of the more intriguing middle-round picks in this year’s NFL draft.
As soon as a quarterback uncorks a throw, Clark says, ‘It’s either my ball or nobody’s ball.’
Though coverage is his calling card, Clark extends his supreme confidence to other facets of his game as well. While the 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety is trying to bulk up, he’s already comfortable getting physical in the run game.
‘I don’t care how big you are or how small you are,’ Clark said of his tackling mentaliy. ‘I’m gonna get you on the ground.’
For all his bravado, though, Clark still has a hard time soaking in that he’s on the verge of breaking through to the pros.
‘It still didn’t click in,’ Clark said. ‘I’m still here looking around and just amazed by everything.’