Clark credits faith and teammates for his perseverance

Lewiston - Tracy Clark hasn't seen the playing field much in his last two seasons at WSU. Last season he was used in only two games on special teams. Despite his lack of playing time, Clark has persevered during his time at WSU and now finds himself poised to claim one of the starting spots at cornerback. We had a few moments to talk to Clark after a practice in Lewiston to get his thoughts on sticking with the program.

CougCenter: Tracy, you're a senior. You've battled and hung with the program and now you're fighting for a starting spot. What has kept you going?

Clark: Really, just my faith in God and knowing that my time will come. I knew I had the talent and ability to do it, so I just stuck with the program. I had a great group of guys, Deone (Bucannon), Damante Horton, and Nolan Washington were some of my close friends. They knew I could do it and when they left they passed me the torch and told me to take over.

CougCenter: Coach Leach said you had an impressive spring that he contacted you after the camp was over. What was the message he sent you?

Clark: He just told me I'm doing a real good job. I improved. My technique is looking real good. He told me to keep my foot on the pedal and keep going and keep leading the young guys. I'm a senior in the secondary and he just told me to take charge to get everybody right.

CougCenter: You talk about keeping your foot on the pedal. You have guys that want your spot too. How does that keep you at full speed?

Clark: I'm just watching more film and staying more focused on my assignments because it is competitive out here. You have got people willing to take your spot, so just knowing that I have got to stay on top of my game is going to keep me in that No. 1 spot.

CougCenter: What were some of the things you worked on over the summer?

Clark: Weight room, film, I took a yoga class getting my hips right. I did a lot of speed training and a lot of footwork drills. Just going over all the calls and making sure I know them like the back of my hand. The offensive moves fast so you have got to get the calls and know your assignment. That's what I did the whole summer.

CougCenter: What's it like going against your receiver teammates?

Clark: We have the best set of receivers in the country. Going up against them you have to be really on your game. I feel like they got us ready (for Rutgers). We've got some great guys at receiver and going up against them is going to make you better.

CougCenter: Being your last season, what's the legacy you want to leave here at Washington State?

Clark: I want to leave a legacy that if you don't start out right, you have got to end on a really high note. I want to leave my mark as one of the best corners to come through at Washington State.