Former TCU safety Bud Clark is set to miss an extended period of time for the Seahawks after suffering a broken ankle in their preseason matchup against the Titans.
Former TCU safety Bud Clark looked prime to be an immediate factor for one of the NFL's most formidable squads in the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks.
However, Clark will be have to wait for his true professional debut after a devastating ankle injury is set to sideline the promising defensive back for many months.
According to Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, Clark suffered a broken right ankle during Seattle's latest preseason bout against the Tennessee Titans.
The unfortunate injury occurred after he went down on the first defensive snap of the matchup, which led to him being helped onto the team's injury cart and his injured leg being placed into an air cast.
This was the first sign that Clark was potentially going to miss extensive time ahead of an anticipated rookie campaign and the official diagnosis simply confirmed the team's worst fears.
While it is obviously a terrible outcome for the former Horned Frog, it is also a crushing blow for a Seattle secondary looking to take full advantage of the talents Clark showcased during his time in Fort Worth.
The Seahawks' second-round selection, Clark quickly worked his way through the ranks in Seattle and was a staple of the team's second defensive unit throughout the summer and fall practices.
He had even become a sneaky contender to earn the starting role alongside Julian Love for the defending champions by the time the season rolled around.
For a team that is sitting on the mountaintop of the NFL, Seattle has already encountered a fair share of setbacks in its title defense campaign.
Clark was not the only Seahawk to suffer a major injury in Saturday's action, as offensive lineman Mason Richman exited the game on the opening drive with what was later called a "long-term injury."
Another of Clark's teammates faced difficulties this week after wide receiver Jake Bobo sustained a knee injury at a joint practice in Tennessee that will cause him to miss the entirety of Seattle's upcoming slate.
Macdonald addressed the string of bitter blows already thrown at his team after the 19-16 loss to Tennessee.
"Two guys that we love, that play our style of ball, that are our types of guys, teammates love them, great teammates, great guys, great football players, they have great futures. It's a heartbreaker, honestly. We had three heartbreakers this week, which is tough."
Without ever setting foot in a regular season game, Clark now stares down a potentially career-defining recovery. But the stellar safety has already shown what he is capable of and has worked extremely hard since his days at TCU for a shot at the biggest stage in the sport.
If he is able to return to that form following this major roadblock, Clark could emerge as one of the brightest stars in the latest era for the Seahawks.
