Clark: Super Bowl Hawkeye Hasn't Forgotten His Roots

Feb. 1, 2007

Editor’s Note: Former University of Iowa All-American Dallas Clark is one of two recent members of the UI football program who will participate in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Clark and former Hawkeye Bob Sanders are members of the Indianapolis Colts, the champions of the American Football Conference. The following is a story written by Chris Johnson, assistant sports editor of the Ft. Dodge Messenger.

FT. DODGE, Iowa — Twin River Valley students had a special guest interruption during class a little over a week ago.

It was a few minutes from their day that they won’t soon forget.

A calm, humble voice came over the P.A. system, telling the students to always keep their dreams alive.

On the other end was Dallas Clark, the high school’s down-to-earth icon who has served as an inspiration to small town athletes in this area and beyond.

Clark made the effort to call his old school after his Indianapolis Colts won the AFC Championship, which was no surprise to those closest to him back in the day at TRV.

“He’s never lost track of his roots,” said Twin River Valley principal Don Hasenkamp. “When they won their last ballgame (to qualify for the Super Bowl) he called back to the school to talk to the kids. He said `I’d be willing to go live on the P.A. and talk to the whole student body, if that’s OK with you.’ So I got on and told the kids we’d be taking break and a special guest had a few words to say. I turned up the volume and he spoke.

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