The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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94 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2020 BY AUSTIN FOX T wo former Wolverines — defen- sive end Frank Clark and quar- terback Chad Henne — were part of a Kansas City Chiefs team that took down the San Francisco 49ers, 31-20, in Super Bowl LIV. While Henne served as the team's third-string quarterback and never saw action all year, Clark played a crucial role in the Chiefs winning their first championship in 50 years. He finished with nine tackles and five sacks in Kansas City's three postseason games, capping things off with a stop and a quarterback takedown in the Super Bowl. "Frank Clark and the Kansas City Chiefs picked a heck of a time to get their first sack against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in Super Bowl LIV," Matthew Florjan- cic of wkyc.com wrote. "After getting close to sacking the NFC champion quarterback numerous times through- out the game, the Chiefs were able to get home on Garoppolo for a nine- yard loss on fourth down on San Fran- cisco's third-to-last drive of the game. "Clark's sack generated a turn- over on downs and set up running back Damien Williams for a 38-yard touchdown run, which gave the Chiefs a 31-20 lead over the 49ers with 1:12 to play in the fourth quar- ter of play at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida." Clark became the first NFL player since Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller in 2015 to post at least five sacks in a single postseason. "I did it for all my people," he said after the win. "Shout out to all the people that have been supporting me and holding it down. When they doubted me, I did it and we're Super Bowl champs now. They're going to write a story about this one." The NFL FORMER WOLVERINES SET TO BE FREE AGENTS IN 2020 Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked the 100 best NFL free agents in 2020 Feb. 17, and three former Wolverines made their list — New England Pa- triots quarterback Tom Brady at No. 3, Detroit Lions offensive lineman Graham Glasgow at No. 75 and In- dianapolis Colts wide receiver Devin Funchess at No. 93. "He'll [Brady] hit the open market for at least a minute in March and questions abound about whether his best fit is back in New England or is Brady ready for a fresh start as he heads into his age-43 season?" PFF wrote. "He finished the year with a 79.0 overall grade and the second half of the season was a struggle as Brady ranked just 27th in positively graded throws. "That's a number that can increase with an improved supporting cast, and Brady's No. 12 ranking shows that he's still capable of quality production, but he appears to be past the point of el- evating any group of playmakers to one of the best offenses in the league." MICHIGAN IN THE PROS Frank Clark Caps Off Impressive Postseason With A Super Bowl Title Clark was one of two former Wolverines to earn an NFL championship ring this season. His fourth-down sack late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV helped secure the victory for the Kansas City Chiefs. PHOTO COURTESY KANSAS CITY CHIEFS