Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark is living through one of the most difficult times of his life as he recently shared that his father, Kenneth Clark Sr., has passed away. It was a loss that cut even deeper because of how hard their relationship was to reclaim. After spending most of Clark’s childhood separated by prison walls, his father was finally released in 2023. They only got a few years together. Clark honored his father on Instagram by posting family photos from the funeral. The response has been overwhelming from fans who showed their support and love during the trying time for the Cowboys star. His past Packers teammates and other loved ones also stood in solidarity, showing compassion and sadness for the loss.
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Clark’s post featuring photos of his late father’s funeral on Instagram read, “Isaiah 57”. In the days after the post, former Green Bay Packers teammates showed their support. Jordan Love simply liked the post while David Bakhtiari and DJ Reed commented with prayer emojis. Jayden Reed wrote, “Prayers my dawg,” and Keisean Nixon summed it up with a heartfelt statement, writing, “Rest In Paradise Big Hunnid”.For Clark, the grief is multilayered, as he was only nine years old when his father was incarcerated in 2004. Kenneth Clark Sr. was arrested and later convicted in a case tied to the shooting death of a man outside a liquor store in the San Bernardino area. Although he maintained his innocence, he received a sentence that carried a minimum of 55 years.That left Clark’s mother, Nicole, to raise four children alone, and she became the foundation of the family, both emotionally and financially, while also fighting through years of legal battles. That effort finally paid off on February 9, 2023, when the California Board of Parole granted Kenneth Sr.’s release. For Clark, seeing his father walk free was something he never truly believed would happen.Even during his incarceration, football kept their bond alive. Kenneth Sr. was the one who first signed his son up for the sport. He stayed connected through phone calls, game-day pep talks, and detailed conversations. Clark even remembered watching Super Bowl XXXV with his dad as a child. Sadly, after his father’s release, Clark got only three years with him.