Evangel University announced Clark’s death on February 19. However, the news didn’t really begin spreading until this month. The school did not reveal a cause of death, and it’s still unclear how he passed.
“Evangel Athletics mourns the loss of Hall of Fame football player, Derrick Clark,” the school said in a statement. “Derrick was a member of the 1992 and 1993 Evangel Football teams.
“Clark was signed as a free agent by the Denver Broncos in 1994. … The [two-time] NAIA All-American, Clark was named to the Evangel Hall of Fame in the fall of 2021.
Clark remains Evangel’s all-time leading rusher and helped the NAIA program reach the playoffs in 1993 following a transfer from Florida State.
Clark joined the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 1994, playing alongside legend John Elway. The Broncos had a dismal campaign that year, going 7-9.
The Florida native also co-owned a semi-professional team, the Daytona Beach Broncos, while serving as a mentor and trainer at the program Xtreme Leverage.
Derrick Clark’s NFL career was brief, but his impact at Evangel University will last forever. He remains the all-time leading rusher at his alma mater, a Hall of Famer.