Why Kansas City Chiefs’ Frank Clark took self-exile from Twitter to focus on football
Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark once was a prolific Twitter user.
Throughout the 2020 offseason, on the heels of the Chiefs winning Super Bowl LIV, Clark often used his Twitter account, which boasts more than 124,000 followers, to share motivational messages or general thoughts with fans.
This offseason? Not one tweet since the day before the Chiefs lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7.
Clark said Tuesday that his absence from Twitter was a personal choice. Instead of spending time crafting tweets, the two-time Pro Bowler has concentrated on returning to an elite level of play on the field.
“I’ve taken the initiative this past offseason just to focus more on myself and fine-tuning my game and getting it back to form,” Clark said during the first day of the Chiefs’ three-day mandatory minicamp. “Last few years dealing with injuries, dealing with a lot of personal stuff, it takes a wear on you.
“Sometime you got to take that break, that mental break, so you can get back to it. I put football back first and that was my goal.”
Clark’s self-exile from social media extends to his Instagram account, which has more than 160,000 followers. While he has published Instagram stories, short video clips designed to disappear after 24 hours, Clark’s last post came on May 15.
“I’m fine without social media,” he said. “I mean, social media has always been a thing that I don’t really need. It’s always something that’s been entertainment just for my fans and my way of interacting with fans.”
The social media-less Clark has zeroed in on the 2021 season.
While he wasn’t present on the field for the three days of media availability during voluntary organized team activities, or OTAs, Clark’s participation in mandatory minicamp marked the focused defensive end’s march toward the upcoming season.
He’s coming off his second straight Pro Bowl selection despite recording just six sacks, the second-lowest total for a season in his career. But Clark has his sights on fulfilling his own goals of taking down opposing quarterbacks.
“It’s always to get 10-plus (sacks),” he said. “That’s always my goal.”
There’s also some unfinished business to take care of ahead of the regular season, especially given the memory of the Chiefs’ 31-9 loss in Super Bowl LV.
“It’s hard to wash out that taste of losing the Super Bowl,” Clark said. “But that’s why you have the offseason, so you can come back, go recuperate and come back with a fresh mindset going into training camp.”
So the Chiefs have a re-energized Clark back in the fold, and his focus is clear. Don’t be surprised if his absence on social media continues.
“I’m just working,” he said. “Honestly, I haven’t been on Twitter in so long, I don’t even remember my Twitter password.”
PARTICIPATION REPORT
The Chiefs went through Tuesday’s on-field work without offensive lineman Martinas Rankin, guard Kyle Long, who suffered a knee injury during the last week of OTAs, and safety Armani Watts.
Cornerback Deandre Baker and defensive lineman Malik Herring were present, but neither player had his helmet with him.
The Chiefs had four players present on a tryout basis: wide receiver Jaleel Scott, wide receiver Darrius Shepherd, safety John Battle and defensive back Adonis Alexander.
Shepherd is a native of Kansas City and prepped at Blue Springs High School. He spent the past two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, appearing in 14 games and recording six catches for 47 yards.
OBSERVATIONS
The Chiefs’ media rules during the mandatory three-day minicamp prohibit the reporting of personnel groupings (first- or second- or third-team units), specific formations/alignments, trick plays, situational plays and statistics.
What are allowed, however, are general observations about head-turning and notable plays, such as:
• During 11-on-11 drills, quarterback Patrick Mahomes lofted a gorgeous pass deep down the right sideline in wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s direction. Hill blew by cornerback Rashad Fenton and ran under the ball before catching it down the field. Mahomes also connected with wide receiver Demarcus Robinson on a sidearm pass, which went around leaping rookie defensive end Josh Kaindoh.
• Rookie wide receiver Cornell Powell, the Chiefs’ fifth-round pick, made the catch of the day during 11-on-11 drills. Quarterback Anthony Gordon’s pass in Powell’s direction in the middle of the field sailed high. Draped by rookie cornerback Decaprio Bootle, the 6-foot, 205-pound Powell climbed the ladder like a shortstop snaring a line drive and extended both arms to secure the pass before falling to the ground to the approving cheers of the sidelines.
• Bootle might have been beat on the previous play, but he announced his presence on the very next sequence by picking off an errant Gordan pass and returning it to the other way for what would have been a pick-6.
• While the team is still working without pads, it’s difficult to ignore running back Jerick McKinnon’s explosiveness when the ball is in his hands. McKinnon’s skill-set is different from that of a more traditional rusher, as he tips the scales at 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds. But he’s fluid as a receiver out of the backfield and shows soft hands when catching the ball. McKinnon, who joined the Chiefs as a free agent on April 30, could provide an option as a change-of-pace running back.
He’s a player to watch when the pads come on.
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 4:32 PM.
