Frank Clark, the Seahawks’ controversial second-round pick, met with the media following the first day of rookie minicamp, and did his best to address concerns about the arrest that got him kicked off the team at Michigan, though he would not go into details about what happened in that Ohio hotel room.
Here’s what he had to say, or if you prefer it in video form, link here:
(on first day) It went great. It feels good to be back out here playing football, doing what I love to do. Just incredible, I’m blessed. I haven’t played football since November and just being back out here (with) the Seattle Seahawks giving me an opportunity to play the game I love once again, I can’t ask for much more. I shouldn’t be here. I come from a rough town in Los Angeles, Calif. and in Cleveland. Everything that I’ve been through these last several months and throughout my life it’s amazing how I’m still here. I got the organization to thank, the fans, the 12s as we call them, and coach Pete Carroll and the staff for just believing in me.
(on what he’s up against, football-wise) The competition level is heavy. There are guys competing every down, there are guys competing for a job. That’s why we’re here, to compete for a job to get everyone better and to compete for a Super Bowl this year.
(on how the past week has been) It’s been well. My whole thing was just getting down here. I was tired of sitting in Michigan. I have been in Michigan training and just getting ready to get down here and compete for a job. That’s why we’re here.
(on how people perceive him) It matters because at the end of the day you don’t want to be labeled as what some call a ‘woman-beater’ or things of that nature because at the same time it doesn’t bother me because I know what I did and what I didn’t do. I don’t want to get in to the specifics of the case but at the end of the day you know the coaches and the staff here had faith in drafting me and they did their job in what they did and they showed that faith in me.
(on how he characterized what happened in hotel room) Basically I put myself in a bad position. I shouldn’t have been in the position anyway. It shouldn’t have got to the point where it got and we shouldn’t even be talking about it. I put myself in a bad position.
(anything that he wants to correct about the story) Not really, they’re going to write what they want to write. At the end of the day, I know what happened. (There’s) only two people that really know what happened. The case played out how it played out and hopefully it showed what happened and the truth of that. I’ve been honest and upfront the whole time as much as I can. Everything I said to the coaches, to everyone who’s questioning me about it I’ve been honest and upfront from the very beginning and that’s all I can do.
(what’s he have to do to prepare for training camp) Just prepare mentally. I think it’s a mental game more than physical. Once you’re mentally strong enough to handle this game, to handle this pressure of playing in the NFL, it’s the highest level. I just talked to a couple of my teammates and I told them we made it to this point, (there’s) no higher you can go. I’ve been playing the game about 15 years of my life and every year of those 15 until this point I used to pray used to pray used to pray to make it. I made it and I’m thankful. I’m nowhere near a complete player or a complete person but at the same time I got a lot of work to do.
(on his past) This whole thing about DV is a major thing. I don’t believe that (any) woman or (anybody) specific should go through it. In my case I believe I put myself in a bad position.
(his message to the 12s) I owe a lot to them. You know how strong the fans, the 12s believe in the Seahawks, I owe a lot to them. One thing I’m going to do is make them proud. I believe for the most part they’ve stood behind me during this whole time. They’ve been very supportive and they look (at) me seeing a lot of high hopes and I’m going to make them proud.
(on how he’s a different person) I’d say mentally. A weak person would have folded. I’ve stayed mentally strong. I’m mentally solid and all I can do is push forward. All I can do is progress from here, I can move forward and I can continue to become a better person.
(on what he wants fans to know about him) I’m a great guy. I’m still a kid in some people’s eyes. I’m 21 years old. I’m not a complete person. I’m not the perfect person a lot of people look at how they look at it. I’m a person who is still learning, I’m a player who is still learning. I’m a player who still needs coaching. I’m a person who still needs to get talked to by my elders and still taught the way of life because I don’t know it all. I’ve got a lot of people here and a lot of people on my team who can do that.
(on growing up/his rocky past) It’s very rocky. It’s amazing. I sent out a tweet about a week ago saying at the age of 11 I was homeless and at the age of 21 I’m a second round draft pick to the Seattle Seahawks. If it doesn’t get (any) more rocky than that I don’t know what to tell you. … My whole life in California me and my mother struggled. I had two older brothers that were sent away at young ages, they were in to gangs and things of that nature and I saw my mother see me go down those same paths. My mother not working a job and not being able to provide for us financially led us to being homeless. We didn’t have nothing. Everyday whether it was practice or me just finding a meal was a struggle. I remember days I was walking looking for a meal, I remember nights walking and we didn’t have anywhere to stay. All that inspired me to be the man I am today.
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