Cowboys’ prep for Micah Parsons; Kenny Clark’s move to Dallas

FRISCO, Texas — Kenny Clark has been relegated to ‘the other guy’ this week with so much discussion regarding Micah Parsons‘ return to face the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Sunday (8:20 PM and NBC).

The Cowboys acquired Clark, the no-nonsense defensive tackle, and two first-round picks from the Packers for Parsons. For nine years, Clark called Green Bay home. He is just a month into his time with the Cowboys.

The on-field transition has been smooth. Clark has played well in his first three games.

Off the field, it is still a work in progress.

“This is my first time moving, going on a different team and then, on top of that, just moving all my stuff,” he said. “I been there nine years, so I had nine years’ worth of stuff there. I had to clean out my garage. Everything.”

Often forgotten is the tumult in a personal life when a player is traded. For almost three weeks, he lived in a hotel. His wife, Kaleeyah, and daughters, Kenaii and Kennedi, went back to Wisconsin after traveling to Texas the day after the trade was announced.

“I was just like closed into that [hotel] room,” Clark said. “Yeah, I wasn’t used to that. So, yeah, it was stressful for sure.”

He brought a big suitcase.

“Just a bunch of sweats and T-shirts so I’d have something to wear,” he said.

He didn’t have his car, so he would Uber to spots to meet teammates for dinner or get to massages and other work. Sometimes, he got recognized.

“They’d pretty much guess, ‘Oh, you a football player?'” Clark said. “So, we’d chop it up in the Uber and stuff. I mean, it’s been cool.”

He credited his wife and the Cowboys for making the move easy. She had to deal with the movers in Wisconsin, and the team helped with the logistics. The family moved into their house Sept. 15, his first night of sleep in his own bed.

By then, he had his car, so he could explore.

“On that off day, I drove around pretty much the whole day, just riding around,” Clark said.

One thing Clark has noticed is the variety of restaurants in the North Texas area.

“I’m a big sweets guy and I love food, so I ain’t going to lie, I’ve been killing the food here,” he said. “It’s been great.”

The unpacking is mostly complete, but they are finding a school for his oldest daughter.

“It’s a lot, but it’s cool,” he said. “Everybody’s been making it easy, and everybody’s been welcoming me.”

More Micah

When coach Brian Schottenheimer joined the Cowboys in 2022, it was as a consultant, mostly working with former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to help give a perspective on how opposing offenses would attack his defense.

So, he has been part of breaking down Parsons on film before.

“I think I know Micah pretty well. They move him around a lot, which is great. I’m not going to give away our game plan for Micah, but we’ll pay a lot of attention to Micah,” Schottenheimer said. “They’ve got other really good players as well. Micah can be dominant. And we know that. We’re going to hit him. We’re going to put multiple people on him.

“It’s going to be a long day for us and the guys trying to block him because he’s that talented. But it’s not just about Micah. It’s about their entire defense.”

In preparing this week, did he wipe the slate clean on what he knew about Parsons, who switched from No. 11 with the Cowboys to No. 1 with the Packers?

“Knowing Micah keeps you up even more at night because I’ve seen him do things I haven’t seen him do yet in Green Bay,” he said. “It means it’s in there. I know he has it. I know he has the tools.”

More than a number

Initially, it appeared Jadeveon Clowney would wear No. 96 when he joined the Cowboys, but then he switched to No. 42.

He has worn Nos. 90, 99, 24 and 7 in his previous stops.

Why did he pick No. 42?

“Wasn’t too many options, right? And then I was thinking, ‘Jackie Robinson wore 42,’ so my celebration probably when I get a sack, I’m going to throw that baseball up there and knock it up outta here. So I’m looking forward to that. That’s how I ended up picking the No. 42.”