Monte Dale Clark (January 24, 1937 – September 16, 2009) was an American football player who served as head coach for the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions. He played college football at USC.
Early years
Clark attended Kingsburg High School, where he practiced football, basketball, baseball and track. As a senior, he contributed to the team winning a football championship, that included a 55-0 championship game win against Avenal High School. He was named the MVP of the first Fresno City-County All-Star football game.
He accepted a football scholarship from USC. He was a two-year starter and in 1958, he was named a co-captain of the squad, playing on both sides of the line with future Pro Football Hall of Famer Ron Mix.
In 1968, he was inducted into the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional career
San Francisco 49ers
Clark was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round (41st overall) of the 1958 NFL Draft. After three years of playing defense, primarily at defensive tackle, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a draft choice on September 9, 1962.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys converted him into an offensive tackle, playing 14 games (10 starts) on the right side during the 1962 season. On April 29, 1963, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Pro Bowl offensive guard Jim Ray Smith.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns acquired Clark primarily because of his pass protection skills and to replace the recently retired Mike McCormack at right tackle. However, in the first exhibition game with his new team on August 10, Clark suffered a knee injury which never fully recovered during the course of the campaign, while playing in 8 games.
Even though he never received Pro Bowl recognition, Clark would become a staple at right tackle for six seasons and become a key contributor in one of the best offensive lines in the league along with Gene Hickerson, Dick Schafrath, John Wooten and John Morrow, while blocking for running back Jim Brown.
In the 1964 NFL Championship Game against the Baltimore Colts, Clark put his talents on display as he neutralized Colts' defensive end and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti. The end result was a stunning 27–0 Browns victory.
Another solid season by Clark the following year saw the Browns once again reach the NFL title game. His 1966 season was disrupted when he suffered a torn biceps late in the year, an injury that forced off-season surgery.
Coaching career
Miami Dolphins
After Clark announced his retirement, he was hired as the Miami Dolphins' offensive line coach on April 8, 1970, working under their new head coach, Don Shula. Shula hired Clark over the phone without an interview following glowing endorsements from Blanton Collier (Browns Head Coach) and 49ers head coach Dick Nolan. Clark's timing proved excellent when Shula helped transform the moribund franchise into a dynasty. During the final two years of his tenure, Clark served as the team's offensive coordinator, which included the undefeated 1972 team.
In Miami, Clark built what many consider one of the best offensive lines in NFL history, as Larry Little and Jim Langer are both in the Hall of Fame, while Bob Kuechenberg continues to be nominated every year. This line not only helped set a new all-time rushing record, but also became the first-team ever to have two backs rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season, including Hall of Fame running back Larry Csonka. Clark was asked about Csonka's bruising running style, and responded with this great quote. "When Csonka goes on safari, the lions roll up their windows."
San Francisco 49ers
During those six years of success in Miami, Clark was under consideration by teams to become their head coach, including his old team, the Browns in 1975. However, his first head coaching opportunity would come one year later, when his original team, the San Francisco 49ers, hired him on January 13, 1976, making him the league's youngest head coach at the time.
As essentially the team's general manager, one of Clark's early moves was to acquire quarterback Jim Plunkett from the New England Patriots. He also put together a tough defensive line that had 30 sacks in the first six games of the 1976 NFL season. After winning six of the first seven games, the 49ers dropped a 23–20 overtime decision to the St. Louis Cardinals, a defeat that began a tailspin in which the team ended the year with an 8–6 record.