Dallas Clark is retiring from the NFL after 11 seasons.
He'll make it official at a Wednesday news conference with the Indianapolis Colts, the team he spent nine years with while establishing himself as one of the game's best tight ends.
Paired with Peyton Manning, Clark set franchise records for career receptions and receiving touchdowns by a tight end. Clark and Manning both left the team following the 2011 season, and the tight end's numbers dipped without the QB great.
He posted 47 catches for 435 yards (four TDs) in 2012 with the Bucs and 31 grabs for 343 yards (three TDs) with the Ravens last season.
Clark was always one of Manning's most reliable targets, and his play during the team's Super Bowl XLI run cemented his standing in team lore. That year, Clark broke the NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end in a single postseason with 317 and ranked second all-time in catches with 21. The Iowa product's career season came in 2009, when he posted an eye-catching 100 receptions for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Clark's game was highlighted by exceptional hands (sans receiving gloves), crisp route-running and a knack for getting open over the middle.
He leaves the NFL at the age of 35 but surely will be revered in Indy for years.
In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the heroes talk "Hard Knocks" before delving into a new batch of rookie whispers.
