The Seahawks used their first pick of the 2015 draft, the 63rd overall pick, on a talented but potentially controversial player, taking Michigan defensive end Frank Clark.
Clark, an athletic, 6-foot-2, 277-pound pass rusher, was kicked off the team late in his senior season following a domestic violence arrest. He later pleaded guilty to charge of persistent disorderly conduct, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, as outlined in this Detroit Free Press story. Clark was also arrested as a sophomore for stealing a laptop. Prior to being kicked off the team, Clark started nine games as a senior, and at times was a standout, including his final game against Northwestern when he totaled eight tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. He was an All-Big Ten second-team selection as a junior, starting 13 games with 4.5 sacks.
Last season, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said his awareness of domestic violence issues “will never be the same,” in light of the Ray Rice video becoming public. It’s safe to say when we hear from Carroll and John Schneider, they’ll tell us they dug deep into Clark’s background to address those concerns.
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