VIRGINIA BEACH (WTKR) — Brendon Clark knew it was time. A growing list of injuries making the former Old Dominion quarterback make a difficult decision, calling it a career while still having eligibility to play for the Monarchs.
"I don't like making excuses and I don't want to be out there if I feel like I've got to make excuses for not performing the way I want to," Clark said.
After a storied high school football career in Richmond, Clark spent two seasons at Notre Dame before transferring to ODU for the 2022 season. For a player who'd had dreams of starting in Division I games, this was the exact opposite of how he thought it would all end.
"After I decided to stop playing, I was very frustrated with the game," he said.
That was until a former trainer, Malcolm Bell, got a hold of Clark. Bell runs Undefeated Quarterback Training and saw an opportunity for his former star to get reconnected.
"He's been through it," Bell said. "He's been through the negatives, he's been through the positives."
"Without Malcolm, I don't know if I would be back into the game," Clark said. "He almost made me fall in love with it again from a different perspective that I didn't think was possible."
Now instead of calling out the plays, Clark is helping the next generation of signal callers develop. He'll head up most of Undefeated's training clinics in the Virginia Beach area with his new role with the group.
"I'm not living through the people you train," he said, "but just giving them competitive edges, watching them compete, helps my inner competitiveness."
A much earlier time to come up with a backup option, but Clark is making this new choice count. He's regaining his passion and helping others find theirs too.
"He's in a position to tell people to never take anything for granted and work hard for stuff," Bell remarked.
All the hardships that you go through, and all the adversity and you wonder why it happens to you," Clark said. "Being here now, I realize there was a purpose."
"God had a plan for me to come back and share these experiences and gives some tips in training and in life to the younger generation."
