Ryan Clark Is Pittsburgh's Unsung Hero

By Bryan DeArdo

It's easy to overlook great players when so many have passed through organizations like the Steelers franchise over the years. Too many of them don't ever get their due, or when they do, it's far too late.

Let's not miss the boat on safety Ryan Clark, who in many ways has become the heart and soul of the Steelers this season.

My first memory of the 11-year safety from LSU is from 2004, when Clark was still a young player suiting up for the Redskins. In the midst of a 15-1 season and hosting a struggling Washington team, I figured my first trip to Heinz Field would end in an easy victory. While Pittsburgh did outlast the 'Skins 16-7 behind a yeoman's effort by Jerome Bettis, Washington's gritty secondary left a lasting impression on me as I merged onto I-79 South on my way back to Columbus.

Specifically, I was impressed by the play of Redskin defensive backs Clark and Sean Taylor. While both players were young at the time, their sleeveless arms gave off an old school image that perfectly mirrored their play inside the hash marks. They looked freakishly similar when they stood together on the field, with their identical cat-like movements through the secondary mimicking each other without any missteps or flaws. Taylor died from gunshot wounds in 2007, but one can imagine that he is proud of his former teammate today.

Despite my affection for his play on the field from that day, I was a bit apprehensive when the Steelers acquired Clark via free agency following their Super Bowl XL run during the 2006 off season. Clark was to replace former starter Chris Hope, a solid player that turned in his fare share of big plays during the '05 campaign.

READ MORE: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1433652-steelers-safety-ryan-clark-is-pittsburghs-unsung-hero

All I know is that I don't want to go to Denver again in the playoffs. It's really our worst case scenario because it means we will be without Clark. He's been the driving force for this defense with Timmons all year long and losing him hurts us more than losing anyone else on that defense, Troy included now.

Denver is the only team that concerns me in the playoffs for that very reason. We saw what happened in game one this year in Denver and, although I know our defense is much better now than in that game, we could still struggle without him in the lineup. We need him in that secondary as much as possible to make a run.