Leaner and quicker, Clark impresses during workouts
June 7, 2006
By Larry Mayer
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Desmond Clark's loss could be the Bears' gain.
Having shed 10 pounds during offseason conditioning, the veteran tight end has appeared noticeably quicker and more effective as a pass receiver during minicamp and OTA practices.
Tight end Desmond Clark finished fourth on the Bears with 24 receptions last season.
"I'm just trying to get a little leaner so I can go a little faster and a little longer," said Clark, who currently weighs 250 pounds. "If I can do that, then I can get down field a little more."
Supervised by strength and conditioning coordinator Rusty Jones, Clark has worked tirelessly to get in better shape. It's a far cry from last year when he missed most of the offseason and training camp after injuring his ankle while working out on his own in Florida.
"I haven't changed my workout; it's just that this year I've been able to workout throughout the whole process," Clark said. "I've been up here the whole time and it's been good. Working with Rusty, I think Rusty is probably the most underrated guy in this building."
Having Clark present for offseason workouts has allowed him to build a rapport with quarterbacks Rex Grossman, Brian Griese and Kyle Orton.
"When he's around and they're throwing and catching and working together, that's going to help," said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. "They can develop that chemistry and trust.
"The other thing, too, is that this is the second year in the system. The more we grow in the offense, the more we're going to be able to use all of the weapons."
While many experts predicted that the Bears would select a tight end early in the draft, they chose safety Danieal Manning and cornerback Devin Hester with their first two picks.
It was clear to anyone who watched the Bears' deflating playoff loss to the Carolina Panthers that speed and depth in the secondary was a more pressing need than the tight end position.
While the Bears signed undrafted free agents Tim Day and Cooper Wallace to go along with returnees John Gilmore and Gabe Reid, Clark remains the undisputed starter.
"I know the coaches had confidence in me the whole time," Clark said. "From Day 1 they told me I'm the tight end and if there was somebody out there that they wanted they were going to go get them, but it wasn't a pressing need.
Desmond Clark signed with the Bears in 2003 after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos.
"I had those discussions with the offensive coordinator and that's reassuring for me. It lets me know that they do have confidence in me."
While coaches believe in him, Clark realizes that he must increase his production. After catching 44 passes for 433 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first season with the Bears in 2003, he has registered just 24 receptions each of the past two years.
"Hopefully I'll be a different tight end this year," Clark said, "stretching the field a little bit more than I did last year."
Clark has been a reliable receiver in the past. He started at wide receiver for three seasons at Wake Forest and left the school as the ACC's all-time leading receiver. Converted to tight end, he later caught a career-high 51 passes for 566 yards and 6 touchdowns with the Denver Broncos in 2001.
While Clark has improved his quickness and speed, he doesn't feel that losing the weight will adversely affect his ability to block, a necessity in the Bears' run-oriented offense.
"I've been getting stronger in the weight room, so I don't think it's going to impact anything with the blocking," he said. "I just lost a little size, but I gained a little muscle.
"I think this is probably the best shape I've been in. I'm feeling real good, taking a whole lot of reps and not getting too winded."
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Leaner and quicker, Clark impresses during workouts
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