FRISCO, Texas (AP) 鈥 Kenny Clark’s reunion with the Green Bay Packers is barely a blip compared to Micah Parsons’ return to face the Dallas Cowboys a month after the defensive linemen were traded for each other.
Clark was a steady run-stopper in Green Bay for nine seasons 鈥 more than twice as long as the flashy pass-rushing Parsons chased down quarterbacks with the Cowboys.
The emotional investment was immense for a man drafted by the Packers late in the first round nine years ago, and his family’s reaction to the trade reflected it. Dallas also acquired two first-round picks in the deal.
鈥淭hey took it a lot harder than I did,鈥 Clark said in a conference call with Green Bay reporters Thursday. 鈥淚 just had to explain to them, everybody at some point gets this call, whether it鈥檚 you鈥檙e getting cut, you鈥檙e getting traded or whatever the case may be.鈥
With the Packers (2-1) set to visit Dallas (1-2) on Sunday night, the Clark family has come to accept the trade. The move into a new house is just about complete, while Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and company made a positive impression on Clark’s crew.
Now it’s time for Clark to line up against a team he went to the Pro Bowl with three times, along with six trips to the playoffs.
It’s been so long, the Green Bay coach when Clark was drafted 鈥 Mike McCarthy 鈥 was out of the league for a season and a half after getting fired by the Packers, then spent five years as coach of the Cowboys before the stunning deal that brought Clark down south as well.
鈥淚 know it鈥檒l be weird,鈥 said Clark, who turns 30 next week. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to see them yellow helmets and, 鈥楧amn, I was just over there,鈥 you know what I鈥檓 saying? Seeing all the guys in warmups and all that kind of stuff is going to be weird, but once that whistle blows and you get your hands on the first guy, whoever you hit first, all that kind of stuff, you run to that ball, it鈥檚 going to be football.鈥
There is one problem.
Clark presumably will have only one game-worn jersey, unless maybe he wants to put on a new one every quarter. Or maybe he can just cut the one he wears into pieces. He’s got buddies on the other sideline who will want that jersey.
There’s Rashan Gary, the NFL sacks leader right now at 4 1/2 since opponents are spending so much time worrying about Parsons, who has 1 1/2. Or Colby Wooden, a third-year pro who counts more as a Clark pupil compared to the 27-year-old Gary.
鈥淚 know RG had asked me the first day I got traded, and then Colby called me the other day and was talking me up about it,鈥 Clark said. 鈥淚f I could get a jersey to all of them, I would. It鈥檚 going to be interesting. I鈥檒l probably get it to RG or something, the oldest guy.鈥
Then again, maybe Clark and Parsons should swap jerseys, just to have a little fun. They did talk stadium suites, since Parsons still has one at AT&T Stadium and both have had to make sure they’ll have plenty of seats for family and friends.
鈥淚 thought he wanted my suite,鈥 Clark said. 鈥淔rom my understanding, when he texted me, I thought he wanted mine. I was like, 鈥榊ou just gotta hit up the guy.鈥 I just hit up the guys here for a suite, so ...鈥
The Packers and Cowboys will play exactly a month after the trade. That’s after Clark played a game for the Cowboys exactly a week after changing cities.
Sounds like a whirlwind. And yet ...
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time coming,鈥 Clark said of facing his former team. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely something I鈥檝e been thinking about since I got traded here. I鈥檓 psyched, bro, now that I got it.鈥
It doesn’t matter much to Clark whether his reunion is getting any attention.
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AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee contributed to this report.
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