Dallas Clark
He was drafted by the Colts 24th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa.
Background
Dallas Clark was a multi-sport star at Twin River Valley High School, earning four letters in football, basketball, and track and five letters in baseball.
As a freshman, he earned honorable mention all-conference honors in football and was second team all-conference as a sophomore.
As a junior, Clark was first team all-conference and honorable mention all-state after recording 140 tackles and being named team MVP. He was his high school team MVP and team captain as a senior, recording 160 tackles.
Clark was first team all-conference and second team all-state as a senior.
Dallas Clark comes from an athletic family. Days before Dallas graduated from high school, Clark's mother, Jan, died of a heart attack at age 49.
Dallas often speaks very fondly of his mother, saying, "Everything I do, I devote it to her."
College career
Clark did not see action during the 1999 season, but he finally saw the field in 2000. He played on special teams and made six tackles during the season as a linebacker.
Prior to the 2001 season, the Iowa coaching staff decided to move Clark to the tight end position.
Dallas Clark started 10 games at tight end for Iowa in 2001, catching 38 passes for 539 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Clark was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week against Purdue, when he caught three passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
He left Iowa with 1,281 career receiving yards in just two years at the tight end position.
Pro career
Dallas Clark was chosen in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts with the 24th pick. Clark started in 11 games in the 2006 season before suffering a knee injury in the November 26 home game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
He returned for the playoffs and played very well leading up to the Colts first Super Bowl berth in Indianapolis. In the 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears, Clark caught 4 passes for 36 yards and rushed the ball once for a 1 yard gain.
Clark started 15 games of the 2007 season, and had 58 receptions for 616 yards, and a single season team record for a tight end 11 touchdowns.
On February 19, 2008 the Colts placed the franchise tag on him.
On February 20, 2008, the Colts signed Clark to a 6-year contract extension, with his salary averaging $4.5 million per year($41 million in total), making him the highest paid tight end in the NFL.
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