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Proud Father Ryan Clark Pens Special Message for Son Jordan Just Days Before the 2025 NFL Draft

Originally posted on The SportsRush | By Reese Patanjo | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 3:21 PM ET

Ryan Clark is a proud father, much like Deion Sanders, as he too prepares to watch his son get drafted. But before the highly anticipated event in Green Bay, Clark had another special moment to celebrate — his son’s birthday. To mark the occasion, he shared a heartfelt tribute on social media, showcasing just how meaningful this moment is for him.

Ryan Clark himself went undrafted in the 2002 NFL Draft. Despite his hopes and dreams of playing in the NFL being dashed, he didn’t mind at the time. Why? Because he was celebrating his son Jordan’s first birthday, which just so happened to fall on the first day of the draft.

Ryan reflected on this moment in his birthday post on Instagram, also expressing his pride in his son.

“Your first birthday party was the first day of the 2002 draft. I knew no one would be calling my phone, but I never even thought about it. I was just happy & proud to be your dad that day. It’s now your draft week, & throughout the years I’ve gotten happier & prouder to be your dad every single day. Happy Day Jo!! I love you.” penned the former safety.

It was a heartfelt message that Clark wrote for his son. And it caught the attention of many famous current and former athletes. Including Mark Jackson, Marcus Spears, and Deion Sanders. They all flooded the comments, wishing Jordan a happy birthday and offering him their best wishes for the draft day.

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A post shared by Ryan Clark (@realrclark)

Just like his father, though, Jordan is projected to go undrafted in a few days. Perhaps a team has a different evaluation of him and ranks him higher, but according to most mock draft sites, he’s not expected to be selected in the top 257 picks.

While Jordan showcased his hard-hitting ability regularly for the Fighting Irish, much like his dad, he didn’t fully master the safety position. His timing on breaking up passes was occasionally off. Additionally, his defensive numbers declined across the board after transferring from Arizona State to Notre Dame, despite playing in more games.

That said, there were other qualities about Clark from back in the day that stood out during his time with the Steelers, beyond just his play. Leadership, versatility, and resilience were all key attributes. These are traits that some players naturally possess, while others don’t. Perhaps Jordan has some of these qualities as well.

He’s already showcased an ability to be versatile. At ASU, Jordan was playing defensive back and corner. Now, he’s turned into a safety. That type of defensive positional versatility will be welcomed by some desperate teams. Let’s see if Jordan can use it to carve out a spot on a roster.

This article first appeared on The SportsRush and was syndicated with permission.

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