By By Drew Buono
Anton Clarkson was brought to Hempstead to win football games, but there is more to this star quarterback than just the gridiron. Clarkson has hit some major crossroads in his life before arriving at the University.
“My first year of college just flew right by without me being able to catch my breath,” the junior said. “I went to Oregon State, which is a Division I-A school.”
OSU head coach Dennis Erickson recruited Clarkson from Venice High School in Los Angeles, and promised his young quarterback a chance to be a future starter for the Beavers.
“It was a dream of mine to play for Coach Erickson because he had coached my father,” Clarkson said.
However, that dream died quickly, as Erickson left after Clarkson’s freshman year to become the head coach for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Once Erickson left, Clarkson started to wonder if it was worth it to stay in Oregon.
“I wasn’t starting and my dad had told me that some other schools had been taking an interest in me and were calling to see if I would transfer,” Clarkson said. The Pride, along with UNLV, Hawaii and San Diego State all expressed interest.
Pride head coach Joe Gardi was looking for a quarterback from a Division I-A school to be a backup to Bobby Seck and eventual starter for the Blue & Gold, so the move worked out well for both sides.
“My dad told me that Hofstra was a good team and a good school to come to, so of course I transferred,” Clarkson said.
Clarkson majors in interdisciplinary studies, which he said, is a mix of “psychology and sociology.” He is scheduled to graduate next December and will try to become a professional football player.
“If I don’t make the pros, I still want to be involved in the game in some way,” he said.
Clarkson’s dad is one of the main reasons why he loves football so much.
“My dad played professional football in the NFL for the Denver Broncos and in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan Roughriders,” he said.
Clarkson wasn’t very close with his dad growing up. His parents divorced when he was just a few months old and he went to live with his mother. He grew up in Los Angeles and when he went to high school, he started to become close with his father again. His dad had become his opposing coach and the competition brought the best out of Clarkson, as he threw for over 5,000 yards and 55 touchdowns in his high school career. After leaving Oregon State, Clarkson was ready to get his head together and start fresh for the Pride.
“Coming here was a chance to start over and make a name for myself,” Clarkson said.
He has done just that, passing for over 4,000 yards and 34 touchdowns in his Pride career while last year winning most improved offensive player on the team. While playing for the Pride, Clarkson is enrolled in four classes for a total of 16 credits.
“I attend class on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and have Wednesdays off to workout in the gym without being bothered by my class schedule,” he said.
When asked about the practices, Clarkson stated that Tuesday was the most grueling because “you have to put the pads back on.”
Clarkson even works out after games by lifting weights and running.
“In this sport, running and lifting are equal in importance when working out and practicing,” he said.
When asked about his running and why he wasn’t much of a mobile quarterback anymore, Clarkson said, “this style of offense doesn’t allow me to move as much as I use to and my numbers are bad in the running game because of the sacks I receive.” However, Clarkson prefers throwing the deep ball than running during a game.
“My goal is to win every single game and not to worry about numbers. I play football and love it. If I could, I would play football morning, noon and night,” he said. “If I didn’t have football, I’d probably be fixing someone’s car right now.”
Thankfully for the Pride, its star quarterback can stay out of the garage and on the field for atleast the next year and a half.