Lehigh University Athletics
Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame
Greg Clark
- Induction:
- 2026
- Class:
- 1978
1977 was a banner year for Clark and his football teammates. Under their belt was an understanding of the hard-nosed style of second-year head coach John Whitehead. They enjoyed the power of quarterback Mike Rieker’s arm and speedy receiver Steve Kreider’s hands.
It doesn’t mean the year was easy. Their over confidence led to a humbling loss at Baldwin-Wallace, a Division III opponent. It forced the players to zero in. It worked. Despite a gut-wrenching loss to Rutgers, the team demolished every other opponent thanks to savvy coaching, pounding offense, and grinding defense.
Clark was co-captain of the 1977 squad. That season he landed in the Lehigh record book with 38 tackles for a loss that season. His greatest work was in their playoff run that took down Massachusetts in the first round.
The second round took Lehigh to the University of California at Davis, where that team had won 20 straight home games over four years. Rather than rely on their acrobatic receiver, the team carried the rock for 235 yards as compared to the measly 25 yards from scrimmage from UC Davis. Lehigh ended that home game winning streak.
Running and defense was again necessary as the team traveled to Texas to play Jacksonville State University in the Division II national championship. Unseasonably cold temperatures and high winds had Coach Whitehead pull out a surprise: an option offense the team hadn’t run all year. Jacksonville State had no answer.
305 yards on the ground. Two touchdown passes. Four recovered fumbles from a Clark-led defense. As the New York Times reported, “Clark, who thwarted one Jacksonville State scoring threat in the second quarter by forcing a fumble, pounced on another fumble at the Jacksonville State 7 late in the third period.”
Lehigh won 33-0, and the team held aloft its first NCAA championship team trophy. Clark was named the Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Championship Game.
The same leadership Clark displayed on the field, he has shown in his professional life. He graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and retired in 2018 after 40 years of work in manufacturing management.
It doesn’t mean the year was easy. Their over confidence led to a humbling loss at Baldwin-Wallace, a Division III opponent. It forced the players to zero in. It worked. Despite a gut-wrenching loss to Rutgers, the team demolished every other opponent thanks to savvy coaching, pounding offense, and grinding defense.
Clark was co-captain of the 1977 squad. That season he landed in the Lehigh record book with 38 tackles for a loss that season. His greatest work was in their playoff run that took down Massachusetts in the first round.
The second round took Lehigh to the University of California at Davis, where that team had won 20 straight home games over four years. Rather than rely on their acrobatic receiver, the team carried the rock for 235 yards as compared to the measly 25 yards from scrimmage from UC Davis. Lehigh ended that home game winning streak.
Running and defense was again necessary as the team traveled to Texas to play Jacksonville State University in the Division II national championship. Unseasonably cold temperatures and high winds had Coach Whitehead pull out a surprise: an option offense the team hadn’t run all year. Jacksonville State had no answer.
305 yards on the ground. Two touchdown passes. Four recovered fumbles from a Clark-led defense. As the New York Times reported, “Clark, who thwarted one Jacksonville State scoring threat in the second quarter by forcing a fumble, pounced on another fumble at the Jacksonville State 7 late in the third period.”
Lehigh won 33-0, and the team held aloft its first NCAA championship team trophy. Clark was named the Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Championship Game.
The same leadership Clark displayed on the field, he has shown in his professional life. He graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and retired in 2018 after 40 years of work in manufacturing management.
Wednesday, September 23
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