How a spiral notebook has fueled the Chiefs’ Frank Clark throughout his career
Late one night recently, Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark walked into a room in his house in pursuit of a specific item.
More than any analytical research or even coaching education, this item has provided groundwork for some of the most important moments of his football career. He could tell you how, but only if you’re willing to turn off that tape recorder and keep it to yourself.
He’s at least willing to divulge this: Somewhere within the pantheon of those responsible for where he stands today is a spiral notebook. An old-fashioned college-ruled register of 8 1/2- by 11-inch sheets of white paper.
The cover is purple, to be precise, and it might as well have “CLASSIFIED” stamped across it in bright red block lettering. Its contents include a thorough catalog of games past and future, the product of research and first-hand experience.
Nearly every left tackle in the league falls somewhere in the book, his strengths and weaknesses outlined like studious preparation for an exam.
“When you see a purple notebook rolling around with me from time to time, just know what it is,” Clark says.
During an era in which players are provided more detailed information and scouting reports than ever before — intelligence that the top teams in the NFL attribute to wins — the Chiefs’ top-paid player couples all of that with a product patented in 1935.
“I’m old-school, man,” Clark says. “I’m great with notes. I ain’t really great with all this computer stuff.”
How it began
The first spiral had a maize and blue cover. It remains part of the collection today.
The idea came to Clark in college, during his junior season at Michigan.
“In the Big Ten, I thought if I see some of these guys once, I was going to see them again,” Clark says. “If I played you, I kept everything. I took notes on you.”
The players are cataloged by team, then filtered by player in chronological order of when they lined up against Clark. Each offensive tackle garners a separate sheet. The tradition has outlasted the pages of a single book, with Clark in his fifth NFL season, so others have been purchased. A green one resides in his locker, though he’s secretive about whether it’s actually part of the collection.
“I got a few imitation ones,” he says, as if decoys are needed to throw someone off the scent.
The routine begins a few days after a game. Clark sits down and begins to scribble out his notes. Many of them come from his one-on-one battles with a player. Some of the intel derives from the film room.
“I got everything a tackle has done since his rookie snap,” he says.
Nothing, however, can replace the value of the first-hand record. Clark offers a couple of examples, without mentioning any specific player by name. While he utilizes what he sees on film, he prefers to analyze the footwork a lineman uses against him — things like how many steps he takes to open into his pass-protection stance. That knowledge can help determine which rush move might work best.
The hand placement is key, too.
“When you jump set, you might shoot your hands high. When you jump set, you might shoot your hands low,” Clark says. “I just play to those. If I know my strength is beating your hands, I might use that the whole game and beat you.”
Throughout a game, he says, he is mentally recalling the notes, like a student as he or she is taking a college test.
“I might do some things to lure you, to make you think I’m doing something, all to set you up for that one move,” Clark says.
It will be used Sunday against Oakland
The purple notebook should come handy this week. Clark has archived every game of his NFL career, and thus he has already faced some left tackles he’d previously seen while with the Seattle Seahawks.
But this is his first repeat matchup of 2019. The Chiefs play host to the Oakland Raiders at 3:25 p.m. Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Clark did not register a single quarterback hurry in the Chiefs’ first game against the Raiders, back in Week 2. His matchup most of the game was Kolton Miller, a second-year player. The two actually faced each other last season, Miller’s rookie year, and Clark had 2 1/2 sacks.
This year, he was quiet.
“I’ve got notes on (number) 74,” Clark says. “Why throw it away when you play these people twice a year? Of course I’ve still got information from Raiders game one.
“I feel like I gave 74 a pass. I’m not giving no more passes for the rest of the season.”
Clark is coming off his most influential game in a Chiefs uniform, an outright dominant performance against the Chargers in the win in Mexico City. He had one sack and another stop in the backfield. He hit quarterback Philip Rivers three times, two of which forced errant throws. One was intercepted.
After the game, he credited his health, the slowly evaporating effects of a pinched nerve in his neck that he popped up sometime during training camp. Get ready for some of his best play, he warned.
And there’s some other good news, he reminded. Among the Chiefs’ final five games, three are against opponents they’ve already seen — the Raiders, Chargers and Denver Broncos.
All three have a spot in the notebook.
“One day, when it’s all said and done,” he says with a smirk, “I’m going to reveal exactly what’s in there.
“Not yet though.”
This story was originally published December 1, 2019 at 5:00 AM.