William Clarke Jr. (born May 4, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Early life Clarke attended Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time Tribune Review All-City League as tight end and linebacker.
He was considered a two-star recruit by Rivals.com.Will Clarke - Yahoo Sports
College career Clarke attended West Virginia University from 2009 to 2013. In 2009, he redshirted as a true freshman. In 2010, he played in only four games. In 2011, he played in all 13 games, starting 11, recording 34 tackles, including five for loss and two sacks. In 2012, he started 12 games, recording 26 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. In 2013, he set career highs in tackles (49), tackles for loss (17), and sacks (6), while earning second-team All-Big 12 Conference honors.SIMS, SPAIN, CLARKE, O'TOOLE ON AP ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Professional career
Cincinnati Bengals He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round (88th overall) of the 2014 NFL draft.
On September 2, 2017, Clarke was released by the Bengals.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers On September 5, 2017, Clarke signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On March 15, 2018, Clarke re-signed with the Buccaneers. He was released by the team on September 3, 2018. He was re-signed on September 12, 2018. On October 10, 2018, Clarke was released by the Buccaneers.
St. Louis BattleHawks Clarke signed with the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL in December 2019. He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.
Detroit Lions Clarke had a tryout with the Detroit Lions on August 19, 2020, and signed with the team four days later. He was released on September 5, 2020.
New Orleans Saints On October 22, 2020, Clarke was signed to the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints. He was released on November 17, 2020.
Arlington Renegades On November 17, 2022, Clarke was drafted by the Arlington Renegades of the XFL. He re-signed with the team on January 24, 2024.
References
External links West Virginia Mountaineers bio