By Rubin E. Grant
Clark Griffin’s senior football season almost was over before it began.
A week before Mountain Brook’s 2019 season kicked off, Griffin was diagnosed with a turf toe, with tendon and ligament damage.
The senior linebacker had three options. He could have surgery, which would have sidelined him for the entire season; be injected with blood plasma and miss the first three weeks of the season; or play in spite of the injury and have surgery when the season ended.
Griffin chose the third option, which meant he would not practice during the week and just play in games.
But Griffin didn’t just play, he excelled. He recorded 147 tackles, including seven for losses, and had a fumble recovery.
His standout performance earned him the Over The Mountain Journal’s 2019 Defensive Player of the Year honor in a vote of Over the Mountain football coaches.
“I think that’s a tremendous honor,” Griffin said. “I’m proud for myself and my teammates and what we had to overcome. It was a roller coaster year with a lot of ups and downs, but we were able to maintain a steady effort and overcome a lot of obstacles.”
Griffin had surgery a week after the Spartans lost in the first round of the playoffs to Florence 24-21, finishing the season with an 8-3 record.
Griffin is hoping he will be recovered in time to play baseball for the Spartans this spring. He’s a third baseman. “We’re still talking about that,” he said.
Mountain Brook coach Chris Yeager marveled at how Griffin was able to play through his injury during the football season.
“He refused to let his injury disrupt his season,” Yeager said. “It’s amazing he had that many tackles without practicing during the week. He might have had 200 tackles if he had been healthy.”
The 5-foot-9-inch, 190-pound Griffin relied on quickness, instincts and smarts. He has totaled 335 tackles in three seasons on the Spartans’ varsity.
“He’s a very cerebral player,” Yeager said. “He understands both sides of the ball, which could make him a good coach one day. He’s always ahead of the ball. He dissects plays and then runs to where the ball is.”
Perhaps that’s because Griffin has been around football his entire life. His dad, Steven Griffin, uncle Chad Griffin and grandfather Ray Griffin all played college football at Harding University in Arkansas. His older brother, Grant Griffin, played defensive back for Mountain Brook, graduating in 2019.
“It’s a football family,” Yeager said. “His whole family is all about football. He’s got two younger brothers, Heath and Trent, who also play football.”
Griffin’s love for the game is what fueled him.
“What I’m going to miss most about not having him around next season is his passion for the game,” Yeager said. “I love the game too, so it gives me a unique feeling as a coach to feel what he feels.”
Griffin is one of three Mountain Brook players on the 2019 All-OTMJ Team defense. Mountain Brook defensive lineman Braxton Wetzler and defensive back Logan Brewer also were voted to the squad.
Briarwood Christian and Hoover also landed three players on the defense. Briarwood’s players were defensive lineman Cole Garner, linebacker Cal Reebals and defensive back Alastair Harris, while Hoover’s were defensive end Joseph Davis, linebacker Jeptha Kilgore and safety Kory Chapman.
Linebacker Jake Levant and defensive back Sam Willoughby made the team from Vestavia Hills, while defensive lineman Chris Ogahwu and defensive back Isaiah Ambrose made the team from John Carroll Catholic.
Spain Park defensive lineman DeQarius Hill and Oak Mountain linebacker Will Pfaffman also were voted to the team.
The punter is Oak Mountain’s Sam Johnson.
