Will Clarke (American football)

William Clarke Jr. (born May 4, 1991) is an American professional football defensive end for the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at West Virginia.

Will Clarke

No. 45 – Arlington Renegades
Position:	Defensive end
Personal information
Born:	(1991-05-04) May 4, 1991 (age 34) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:	271 lb (123 kg)
Career information
High school:	Pittsburgh (PA) Allderdice
College:	West Virginia
NFL draft:	2014: 3rd round, 88th pick
Career history
Cincinnati Bengals (2014–2016) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017–2018) St. Louis BattleHawks (2020) Detroit Lions (2020)* New Orleans Saints (2020)* Arlington Renegades (2023–present)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
XFL champion (2023) Second-team All-Big 12 (2013)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 37 Sacks: 7.0 Fumble recoveries: 2 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

Clarke attended Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,^[1][2] where he was a two-time Tribune Review All-City League as tight end and linebacker.

He was considered a two-star recruit by Rivals.com.^[3]

College career

Clarke attended West Virginia University from 2009 to 2013. In 2009, he redshirted as a true freshman. In 2010, he played in only four games. In 2011, he played in all 13 games, starting 11, recording 34 tackles, including five for loss and two sacks. In 2012, he started 12 games, recording 26 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. In 2013, he set career highs in tackles (49), tackles for loss (17), and sacks (6), while earning second-team All-Big 12 Conference honors.^[4]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 6+1⁄8 in (1.98 m)	271 lb (123 kg)	34+5⁄8 in (0.88 m)	9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m)	4.77 s	1.69 s	2.81 s	4.57 s	7.26 s	32.0 in (0.81 m)	9 ft 11 in (3.02 m)	22 reps
Sources:[5][6]

Cincinnati Bengals

He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round (88th overall) of the 2014 NFL draft.^[7]

On September 2, 2017, Clarke was released by the Bengals.^[8]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On September 5, 2017, Clarke signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.^[9]

On March 15, 2018, Clarke re-signed with the Buccaneers.^[10] He was released by the team on September 3, 2018.^[11] He was re-signed on September 12, 2018.^[12] On October 10, 2018, Clarke was released by the Buccaneers.^[13]

St. Louis BattleHawks

Clarke signed with the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL in December 2019. He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.^[14]

Detroit Lions

Clarke had a tryout with the Detroit Lions on August 19, 2020,^[15] and signed with the team four days later.^[16] He was released on September 5, 2020.^[17]

New Orleans Saints

On October 22, 2020, Clarke was signed to the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints.^[18] He was released on November 17, 2020.^[19]

Arlington Renegades

On November 17, 2022, Clarke was drafted by the Arlington Renegades of the XFL.^[20] He re-signed with the team on January 24, 2024.^[21]