FORT WORTH, Texas – Eight TCU players are now professionals in the NFL. So, naturally there is a lot of chatter about how to replace those stars. There’s one name the coaching staff doesn’t have to worry about for this upcoming season and that’s because it was called quite often last year.

What You Need To Know

  • In 2022, Bud Clark’s team-best five interceptions were the most by a Horned Frog since 2019 (Ar'Darius Washington, 5)

  • His fifth and final interception of the season was returned 41 yards for a touchdown for the first points of the game in the College Football Playoff Semifinal win over Michigan

  • Bud welcomed his first son Kenzo Kash Clark into the world in December 2022

“Big time players make big time plays in big time games,” said junior safety Bud Clark after one of the greatest postseason plays in TCU football history. Last year, he had a team-high five interceptions, including the pick-six to open the game against Michigan in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. He is the anchor to the Horned Frogs’ secondary.

“If you look at those key wins we had last year, one thing was pretty consistent: Bud was making some big plays in those games,” said TCU head coach Sonny Dykes.

But in the biggest game under the brightest lights, TCU fell short. 

“We got our ass kicked,” Coach Dykes said when asked about the National Championship game against Georgia. “And we deserved to get our ass kicked. We weren’t ready and we didn’t perform at the level we should have.”

“It was a great learning curve for us,” Bud said. “We had never been there so to be there was a great experience for us. But this is the knowledge that we needed. We know what we need to do, we know what we had to do and now we’re going to do it.”

With the exception of Jim Thorpe Award winner Tre Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU’s defense returns a majority of its starters from last season.

“It’s not even about filling [Tre’s] shoes because we all got pretty different styles,” Bud said. “But it was pretty cool to play beside him. So having that experience and relationship with him is very important to me.”

Football has been Bud’s love since the beginning. He just didn’t know it at the time.

“I was 5 years old when I started,” he said with a smile. “But I really didn’t want to play football until my momma made me play.”

Now Bud, a father himself, has his own son to teach the game. Kenzo Kash Clark was born in December just weeks before the College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl. Now Kenzo has a front row seat to watch his father’s Horned Frogs this coming season.

“It gives me fuel for sure because now I have someone to do it for,” Bud said proudly. “Success in this game is for me ultimately. But really, it’s for my son so he can have something to live for in his future life.”

Bud’s teammates and coaches speak so highly of him, it further illustrates his impact on the team.

“It’s kind of funny because you see him out here playing around. You wouldn’t think this but the minute game day comes around, a switch flips for him,” said TCU tight end Jared Wiley.

“Look, practice is tough,” said Coach Dykes. “But Bud practices with a smile on his face and he plays football with a smile on his face. He takes a lot of pride and has a lot of enjoyment through this game.”

TCU kicks off the 2023-24 season at home Sept. 2 against Colorado.