As reported in Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, highly sought junior linebacker Josh Clarke said Arkansas receivers coach Michael Smith doesn't just focus on football.
His mother passed away when he was 9 years old and he's seen family members be victims of gun violence. He said Smith has given him advice on how to overcome adversity and how to grow as a man.
Clarke, 6-3, 219 pounds, 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Jefferson (La.) Riverdale, has approximately 18 scholarship offers from schools like Arkansas, Arizona State, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Ole Miss.
He's determined to stay away from potential problems that could keep him from reaching his goal of playing major college football and beyond.
“It’s one of the most dangerous places in the country, especially the neighborhood I live in,” said Clarke, who has a 3.7 grade point average “I really keep a small circle. I don’t associate with too many people because of too much danger and drama around the city. I just keep myself accompanied with a lot of things.”
Clarke is rated a four-star prospect by national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network.