Delroy Clarke
Encyclopedia
Delroy Clarke is a Canadian football
cornerback
for the Edmonton Eskimos
of the Canadian Football League
. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 CFL Draft
by the Argonauts. He played CIS Football
for the Ottawa Gee-Gees.
, moved to Scarborough
in the city of Toronto
, Ontario
, as a teenager, and attended West Hill Collegiate Institute
for grades 10, 11, and 12. He was an all-around athlete in school, playing varsity soccer, rugby
, and track and field for West Hill. He first played football in the twelfth grade
, after a serious leg injury cost him a soccer United States
college athletics
scholarship
. Upset and not wanting to play soccer anymore, friends convinced him to try football. In his only year of high school football, he made enough of an impact to earn United States Division II scholarship offers but opted to stay in Canada and play for the University of Ottawa
.
Clarke was drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 CFL Draft
by the Toronto Argonauts
.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 CFL Draft
2008 CFL Draft
The 2008 CFL Draft took place on April 30, 2008. 48 players were chosen from among 752 eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA....
by the Argonauts. He played CIS Football
CIS football
Twenty-six universities across Canada compete in football under the auspices of Canadian Interuniversity Sport . The teams are divided into four conferences, drawing from the four regional associations of the CIS: Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, Quebec...
for the Ottawa Gee-Gees.
Early years
Clarke was born in Kingston, JamaicaKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, moved to Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
in the city of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, as a teenager, and attended West Hill Collegiate Institute
West Hill Collegiate Institute
West Hill Collegiate Institute is a public high school in Toronto, located in eastern Scarborough. The school was opened in 1955 and named after the community of West Hill, Toronto in which the school is located, and recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2005...
for grades 10, 11, and 12. He was an all-around athlete in school, playing varsity soccer, rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, and track and field for West Hill. He first played football in the twelfth grade
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
, after a serious leg injury cost him a soccer United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college athletics
College athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
. Upset and not wanting to play soccer anymore, friends convinced him to try football. In his only year of high school football, he made enough of an impact to earn United States Division II scholarship offers but opted to stay in Canada and play for the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
.
Clarke was drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 CFL Draft
2008 CFL Draft
The 2008 CFL Draft took place on April 30, 2008. 48 players were chosen from among 752 eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA....
by the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
.