Clark, "Dutch" (Earl H.)
Football
b. Oct. 11, 1906, Fowler, CO
d. Aug. 5, 1978
The 1928 Associated Press All-American team listed a virtually unknown player from a virtually unknown school at quarterback: "Dutch" Clark of little Colorado College. One of the most versatile players in football history, Clark handled the ball on almost every play. He ran 135 times for 1,349 yards, an average of 10 yards a carry; completed 44 passes; and scored 103 points in only eight games, on 14 touchdowns, 16 points after, and 1 field goal. He had a 40-yard interception return for one of his touchdowns that season.
Clark wasn't quite as productive in 1929, when he captained the team, and he didn't repeat as an All-American, but he still had some outstanding games. His 50-yard run and two extra points gave Colorado a 14-13 victory over Colorado A & M and he kicked a 33-yard field goal in the closing minutes to beat Denver University, 3-2. He also punted 11 times, averaging 45 yards a kick, to keep Denver out of scoring range in that game.
In 1930, Clark became backfield coach at Colorado and also coached basketball and basketball. He signed with the Portsmouth Spartans of the NFL in 1931 and remained with them for two seasons. He scored all of Portsmouth's points in a 19-0 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers as a rookie and he led the league in scoring with 39 points in 1932. Clark was named All-Pro quarterback both seasons.
The Spartans had a problem paying his salary, $140 a game, so he left pro football in 1933 to coach all sports at Colorado School of Mines. The following year, the Portsmouth franchise was moved to Detroit and Clark returned to the team. He was All-Pro quarterback four seasons in a row and he led the league in scoring twice, with 55 points in 1935 and 73 in 1936.
The 1935 team won the NFL championship, beating the New York Giants 26-7 in the title game, when Clark had a 40-yard touchdown run. He became player-coach of the team in 1937. His final year as a player was 1938, when he only carried the ball 7 times because of injuries. The Cleveland Rams hired Clark as coach in 1939 and he remained there for four seasons.
Clark went into business in 1943 but became football coach at the University of Detroit in 1951. His teams there won 13 games while losing 17 in three seasons before Clark left football for good to concentrate on business.