Ryan Clark shared a funny story on the Football America! Podcast<\/a> about an awkward moment he had with Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers during training camp. Clark thought he was making a friendly gesture. The former Steelers safety says he texted ahead of camp, hoping to grab a few minutes with Rodgers, the team\u2019s newest quarterback, to welcome him to Steeler Nation and talk ball.<\/p>\n Rodgers passed.<\/p>\n That should have wrapped things up, but Clark mentioned they bumped into each other again as he drove up to the facility. Rodgers was talking with OC Arthur Smith. Clark waved to a few players. Smith acknowledged him, but Rodgers just stayed quiet.<\/p>\n At first glance, that sounds like shade. But Clark didn\u2019t see it that way.<\/p>\n \u201cI respected it,\u201d he said. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t gonna be fake. That set the tone\u2014\u2019 you and I don\u2019t talk.\u2019 And that\u2019s better than it being an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s typical Rodgers, totally straightforward and not worried about how it looks. Clark thinks that kind of honesty is way better than putting on a fake smile or giving a phony handshake.<\/p>\n The backstory for those not in the now. In his role as ESPN analyst, Clark hasn\u2019t held back his feelings on Rodgers. Last year, he called him a \u201cfraud\u201d<\/a> and \u201ctone-deaf\u201d for not being a good teammate and poor leader. Rodgers fired back<\/a>, not explicitly naming Clark but former athletes turned analysts who jeer from the peanut gallery. Rodgers, known for holding a grudge, clearly hasn\u2019t forgotten those comments.<\/p>\n The standout moment was definitely entertaining, but what Clark said afterward was even more interesting: Rodgers still looks like his old self. Clark, who\u2019s played against him at his best, mentioned that the throws<\/a> he saw in Latrobe were \u201csome of the best footballs I\u2019ve ever seen thrown on those fields.\u201d His arm talent is still on point.<\/p>\n Clark is calling this season a big chance for the whole Rodgers\/Tomlin combo to prove themselves. That Week 1 matchup against Justin Fields and New York Jets is critical mainly to keep the talk down. If they lose, the rumors will start flying. But if Rodgers steps up and takes responsibility, kind of like saying, \u201cthat one\u2019s on me,\u201d Clark thinks the team will rally behind him.<\/p>\n Rodgers ignoring Clark isn\u2019t just some personal drama; it\u2019s about being real. Clark even joked about it later, saying Rodgers is like many legends, such as Kobe Bryant, hold onto slights for life. Steelers\u2019 fans know that kind of intensity can have its downsides, but it\u2019s also what\u2019s helped Rodgers become a future Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n No matter how the Steelers\u2019 season goes with Rodgers, good, bad, or downright ugly, Clark won\u2019t be afraid to share his thoughts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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