Cowboys' Damone Clark impressing in camp; mentored by team legends

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark is making a strong impression in training camp, and he's learning from some of the Cowboys star linebackers who came before him.

Jun 5, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark (18) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. / Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark is gearing up for his third season in the league, and he's hoping to build off of a 109-tackle campaign in 2023.

Clark played in all 17 games during his sophomore campaign and is knocking on the door of stardom.

The former All-American and national champion at LSU has impressed through the first week of training camp and the first three padded practices in Oxnard, and his drawing inspiration from his LSU roots.

Clark switched his number to 18, a special number for LSU players that he was voted to wear during his time as a Tiger, and he's hoping that will ground him.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is caught from behind by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark (33). / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

"I'm going back to the root of things. I'm going out there and having fun. This is a game I've been playing my whole life," Clark told the media, via DallasCowboys.com. "Last year, it got too far ahead of me sometimes. I was too high sometimes and too low sometimes.

"The biggest thing for me is now finding that neutral mindset and, at the end of the day, it's all just a game that I've been playing since I was five years old."

Something that will make Cowboys fans happy is who Clark has turned to for mentorship.

Clark revealed he is being mentored by former Pro Bowlers Sean Lee and Leighton Vander Esch. Vander Esch retired after suffering a neck injury. Lee medically retired from the NFL in 2021. Coincidentally, Clark can relate to the two respected veterans in that manner.

Damone Clark 18 makes a tackle as The LSU Tigers take on the Auburn Tigers in Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

Clark was expected to be a top-15 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but the Cowboys discovered an issue in his neck during the pre-draft process that led to the linebacker undergoing spinal fusion surgery.

He was eventually drafted by the Cowboys in the fourth round and has been able to bounce back.

And with his newfound mentors, he's ready to take the next step.

"Having a guy like Leighton and Sean Lee — I told [them] I'm a sponge," he said. "I can never [learn] too much. This is my third year but second full season, and anything I can do to get better, I'm gonna do it."

If Clark can continue to excel in training camp and absorb the knowledge he is getting from some of the most respected vets to come through the Cowboys organization, he will be able to help elevate the linebacking corp alongside Eric Kendricks in Mike Zimmer's system.

Considering there were questions at linebacker coming into the offseason, that would be a welcomed development in Big D.

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