Dutch Clark gained his greatest acclaim as a football player and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame with its inaugural class in 1951 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame with its inaugural class in 1963.
52 Facts About Dutch Clark
2.
Dutch Clark was named in 1969 to the NFL 1930s All-Decade Team and was the first player to have his jersey retired by the Detroit Lions.
3.
Dutch Clark was selected as the first-team All-Pro quarterback six times, was named by the United Press as the best player in the NFL in both 1935 and 1936, led the Lions to the 1935 NFL championship, and led the NFL in total offense in 1934 and scoring in 1932,1935, and 1936.
4.
Dutch Clark was the head coach at the Colorado School of Mines and with the Cleveland Rams and Seattle Bombers, an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Dons and University of Detroit Titans, and head coach and athletic director for the University of Detroit.
5.
Dutch Clark was born in the town of Fowler in Otero County, Colorado, in 1906.
6.
Dutch Clark was the son of Harry J Clark, a Michigan native, and Mary Etta Clark, a North Carolina native.
7.
In 1917, when Dutch Clark was 10 years old, the family moved approximately 60 miles to the west to Pueblo, where the father was employed as a locomotive fireman on a steam railroad.
8.
Dutch Clark was named captain of the basketball team for the second consecutive year, played at the center position, and was selected as an all-conference player.
9.
Dutch Clark earned 16 letters at Central High and graduated in 1926.
10.
Dutch Clark played football for four years and was team captain as a senior.
11.
Dutch Clark played basketball for four years and was team captain as both a junior and a senior.
12.
Dutch Clark competed in track all four years and in baseball as a senior.
13.
Dutch Clark rushed for 1,349 yards on 135 carries and scored 103 of the team's 203 points.
14.
Dutch Clark was the first All-American football player from any of Colorado's colleges and universities.
15.
Dutch Clark graduated from Colorado College in June 1930 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology.
16.
In May 1931, Dutch Clark was granted a leave of absence from his coaching responsibilities at Colorado College to allow him to play for the Portsmouth Spartans in the National Football League, with the understanding that he would return to coach the school's basketball team when the Spartans' season was over.
17.
Dutch Clark appeared in 11 games and was the team's leading scorer with 60 points on nine touchdowns and six extra points.
18.
Dutch Clark ranked third in the NFL in scoring and was selected as the first-team All-Pro quarterback.
19.
Dutch Clark was actually the leading scorer in the NFL when he secured permission to leave the team early to resume his coaching responsibilities with the Colorado College basketball team.
20.
Dutch Clark led the NFL with 581 rushing yards; he led the league with 55 points scored, 10 extra points, and three field goals.
21.
Dutch Clark signed with the Detroit Lions in May 1934 and joined the team for training camp at the end of August.
22.
Dutch Clark led the NFL in 1934 with 1,146 yards of total offense and eight rushing touchdowns and ranked among the leaders with 73 points scored, 763 rushing yards, and 383 passing yards.
23.
Dutch Clark led the NFL with 55 points scored and 16 extra points.
24.
In that game, Dutch Clark scored both Detroit touchdowns, the first on a pass from Bill Shepherd and the second when he rolled out on a flanker play and took a lateral pass 21 yards into the end zone.
25.
Dutch Clark scored two touchdowns in the game, including a 52-yard touchdown run.
26.
Dutch Clark is one of the most intelligent men who ever played football.
27.
In February 1936, Dutch Clark announced that, despite the successful 1935 season, he might quit professional football.
28.
Dutch Clark noted that time had slowed him, and he preferred pursuing a business career in his hometown of Pueblo, Colorado.
29.
Dutch Clark ranked second in the league with 1,095 yards of total offense.
30.
Dutch Clark ranked among the NFL's leaders with 628 rushing yards and 467 passing yards.
31.
Dutch Clark was signed the next day as the Lions' head coach, adding coaching duties to his pre-existing duties as player and team captain.
32.
In polling of 27 sports editors in NFL cities, Dutch Clark led all other players with 25 first-team votes.
33.
In May 1938, Dutch Clark announced that he was open to playing during the 1938 season, though he intended to play "as little as possible," and not at all if the Lions could secure the services of a satisfactory quarterback.
34.
Bill Shepherd took over as the club's starting quarterback in 1938, and Dutch Clark appeared only briefly in six games, carrying the ball seven times and completing six of 12 passes.
35.
Dutch Clark held the NFL's career scoring record at the time of his retirement.
36.
In March 1933, Dutch Clark was hired as head football coach for the Colorado School of Mines football team.
37.
Dutch Clark resigned his post in March 1934 in order to return to the NFL with the Detroit Lions.
38.
Dutch Clark was player-coach with the Lions during the 1937 and 1938 seasons.
39.
In December 1938, Dutch Clark resigned as head coach of the Lions and signed a two-year contract as head coach of the Cleveland Rams.
40.
In March 1943, Dutch Clark announced that he would not seek renewal of his contract as coach of the Rams.
41.
In February 1944, Dutch Clark was accepted for limited service in the United States Army.
42.
In July 1944, Dutch Clark signed as coach of the Seattle team in the newly formed American Football League of the Pacific Coast.
43.
In March 1949, Dutch Clark was hired as backfield coach for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference.
44.
In December 1949, after one season with the Dons, Dutch Clark accepted a job offer to become backfield coach with the Chicago Cardinals for the 1950 season, but that opportunity was lost days later when Buddy Parker resigned as the Cardinals' head coach.
45.
In March 1950, Dutch Clark was hired as an assistant coach of the University of Detroit Titans football team.
46.
In February 1951, Dutch Clark was promoted to the dual role of head football coach and athletic director at the University of Detroit.
47.
Dutch Clark remain as athletic director through the end of February 1954 when his contract expired.
48.
Dutch Clark has received numerous honors for his contributions to the sport.
49.
In June 1930, Dutch Clark received his degree from Colorado College.
50.
In January 1955, Dutch Clark was remarried to Ruth Jane Lowther, the widow of former Detroit Lions player Jackie Lowther.
51.
Dutch Clark became stepfather to his second wife's two sons, Charles and Thomas Lowther, ages nine and five.
52.
Dutch Clark was buried at Lakeside Cemetery in Canon City.