When Kenny Clark Jr. looks back on where football first became part of his life, it always starts with his father. One of his earliest memories is sitting beside him at five years old, watching the Ravens run through the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. Before he was locked up when Kenny was nine, the two were rarely apart. With his mother, Nicole, working long shifts as a nurse, Kenny Sr. was the one at home, raising their oldest son, throwing passes in the yard, and passing down his love for the game.

Even through the years they spent separated, Kenny Jr. held onto the moments he wished his dad could see, like the Combine, UCLA’s pro day, draft night, all the milestones that came with chasing the dream they once talked about together. That finally changed in September 2023. After a Week 1 win in Chicago, Matt LaFleur handed out game balls at Lambeau Field, one to Jordan Love and one to Clark after a strip sack performance. But what mattered most was who was in the stands.

It was his father’s first plane ride, his first NFL game, his first time seeing his son play as a pro. “He was smiling the whole time,” Clark said later. “Just shocked. It was surreal.” It felt like the start of everything they’d waited years for.

Now, just two seasons later, that chance to make up for lost time is gone. The Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark shared the news of his father’s passing on Instagram, posting photos from the funeral and writing, “God gave us 3 years to be w you again, and we enjoyed every second of it. I’m just thankful to be a part of your story, big homie. I love you ♾️ Rest In Peace, Dad 🕊️.” And more recently: 

‘Isaiah 57🕊️♾️,’ Clark captioned a post that had pictures from his father’s funeral.

The reference comes from the Book of Isaiah, where chapter 57 speaks about the righteous being taken into peace after hardship. Paired with the dove and infinity symbol, Clark’s caption reflected the belief that his father was finally at rest and surrounded by everlasting love, after a life marked by injustice and struggle. 

Through Prison Walls, Courtrooms, and a Childhood Cut Short

That hardship Clark alluded to had defined much of his life long before he ever reached the NFL. When he was nine, his father was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting outside a liquor store in San Bernardino, a case that would stretch across decades and leave their family stuck in a cycle of hope and heartbreak. After an eight-day trial, Kenny Sr. was convicted of second-degree murder and handed a sentence of 55 years to life without parole. It effectively removed him from his children’s lives overnight.

What made it harder for the family to accept was how uncertain the case always felt. The prosecution’s key witness would later admit to telling different versions of what happened, at one point claiming police pressure pushed him to testify against Kenny Sr., before reversing himself again in court.

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Years later, other men came forward saying someone else had pulled the trigger entirely. Each new statement felt like the truth finally surfacing, and each time, judges dismissed the evidence, closing another door.

At home, the absence left a vacuum Nicole had to fill on her own. With four kids depending on her, she worked exhausting hours while trying to keep the household steady. Kenny Jr., still a child himself, stepped into responsibilities far beyond his age, like helping with his younger siblings, handling mornings when his mom was exhausted, and learning early what it meant to carry weight without complaint. There were weekends spent driving hours through the desert to maximum-security prisons, visits where talking through glass felt cold, not comforting.

And so, for years, football faded into the background as survival took priority. But slowly, it returned, and in many ways became the bridge that kept father and son connected. Kenny Sr. would call before games with advice, after games for full breakdowns, and sometimes even during games for live updates.

When Kenny Jr. reached high school and began emerging as a top prospect, that connection only deepened. Coaches would later visit his father in prison, promising to guide his son not just as an athlete, but as a man.

Even as Kenny Jr.’s career took off, from UCLA to the NFL, the legal fight never stopped. Each hearing came with cautious optimism, and each ruling brought fresh disappointment. Kenny Jr. would sit beside his mother and siblings, watching his father walk in wearing an orange jumpsuit, dreaming that maybe this time would be different. The years stretched on like that, hope rising, then falling, until, against long odds, clemency finally opened the door to parole in 2023.

 After nearly two decades apart, Kenny Sr. walked free. It felt like the end of a long storm. For the first time since childhood, Kenny Clark Jr. had his father back, not behind glass, not through phone lines, but beside him in real life. And then, just as suddenly as that long fight had ended, it was over.

After Kenny Jr. laid his namesake to rest, messages of support followed, especially from the teammates who knew his journey best. Former Packers players reached out with prayers and quiet words of comfort, standing by the 30-year-old defensive tackle as he grieved his father’s passing.

Kenny Clark’s former Packers teammates paid tribute to his father

The response from Kenny Clark’s former Packers teammates was quiet but telling. Jordan Love didn’t add words, choosing instead to like the post, a subtle gesture that still carried weight. Sometimes, especially in moments like these, acknowledgment matters more than commentary. It reflected a shared understanding among Clark’s former teammates, one built over years.

Others spoke through symbols and short messages, letting emotion do the heavy lifting. Former Packer and Clark’s ex-teammate, David Bakhtiari, commented, “🙏🙏🙏, ” while DJ Reed added, “🙏❤️.” Jayden Reed kept it direct and personal, writing, “Prayers my dawg 💔🕊️.” None of the messages was long. But each one reflected familiarity, respect, and an awareness of how personal the loss was.

Keisean Nixon’s message perhaps captured that closeness best. “Rest In Paradise Big Hunnid💙🐾🕊️,” he wrote, blending affection with farewell. Together, the reactions showed how Kenny Clark’s story resonated beyond football. These weren’t public statements or polished condolences, but just former teammates showing up in the simplest way possible.