Leon Clarke (American football)
 Clarke in 1959 | |||||||||
| No. 84, 81 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | January 10, 1933 Venice, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | October 5, 2009 (aged 76) Los Alamitos, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 232 lb (105 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Venice (Los Angeles, California) | ||||||||
| College | USC | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1956: 2nd round, 14th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Leon Clarke (January 10, 1933 – October 5, 2009)[1] was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) from 1956 tp 1963.
Clarke prepped at Venice High School. He played college football for the USC Trojans and played in the Pro Bowl in 1956.[2]
Clarke was also an All-American hurdler for the USC Trojans track and field team, finishing 3rd in the 220 yards hurdles at the 1955 NCAA track and field championships.[3]
Clarke died of pancreatitis in Los Alamitos, California, on October 5, 2009.[1] He was 76 years old.[4]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1956 | RAM | 12 | 11 | 36 | 650 | 18.1 | 60 | 4 |
| 1957 | RAM | 9 | 7 | 23 | 442 | 19.2 | 70 | 4 |
| 1958 | RAM | 11 | 5 | 18 | 135 | 7.5 | 17 | 4 |
| 1959 | RAM | 11 | 10 | 29 | 453 | 15.6 | 60 | 0 |
| 1960 | CLE | 9 | 4 | 11 | 184 | 16.7 | 86 | 4 |
| 1961 | CLE | 13 | 1 | 11 | 211 | 19.2 | 41 | 2 |
| 1962 | CLE | 11 | 0 | 10 | 106 | 10.6 | 22 | 0 |
| 1963 | MIN | 3 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 14 | 0 |
| 79 | 38 | 141 | 2,215 | 15.7 | 86 | 18 | ||
References
- 1 2 PASSINGS: Leon Clarke dies at 76; L.A. Rams flanker was in the Pro Bowl
- ↑ "Leon Clarke Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
- ↑ "220 yards hurdles at the NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships" (PDF). Track and Field News. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ↑ "In Memoriam: Leon Clarke, 76 - USC News". Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
External links
Categories:
- 1933 births
- 2009 deaths
- Deaths from pancreatitis
- American football tight ends
- USC Trojans football players
- Los Angeles Rams players
- Cleveland Browns players
- Minnesota Vikings players
- Western Conference Pro Bowl players
- Venice High School (Los Angeles) alumni
- Players of American football from Los Angeles
- American men hurdlers
- USC Trojans men's track and field athletes
- Track and field athletes from Los Angeles
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- American football tight end, pre-1950 birth stubs