This photo was taken at Miami’s team awards
banquet following the 2002 season. From left to right are Sean Taylor,
Nevin Shapiro (showing his 2001 Hurricanes national championship ring)
and Howard Clark.
Nevin Shapiro on Clark: Play audio
Miami booster Nevin Shapiro alleges he provided multiple extra benefits to Howard Clark during the 2002 season. Among the benefits he claimed to have provided:
- Howard Clark
-
- Position: Linebacker
- Rivals recruiting rank: None. Clark was a Parade All-American who was rated as one of the top linebackers in the country in the Class of 1998.
- College career: A four-year contributor who started as a sophomore in 2000, Clark saw his role diminish into a platoon situation behind more talented linebackers in his junior and senior seasons. He is currently out of football.
• Drinks and VIP access at nightclubs on multiple occasions.
In Shapiro’s words
• “Howard Clark was a player when I first got started with the program. He was a really nice kid. He was always around the club scene with us, at the parties.”
From left to right, Howard Clark, Cornelius Green
and Nevin Shapiro on the field after the 56-45 win over Virginia Tech on December 7, 2002. The win put Miami into the national championship game.
Photos special to Yahoo! Sports
“My friends were Bryant McKinnie, Ed Reed, Jeremy Shockey,” Clark said. “We didn’t need anyone to get us anywhere. I mean, they were millionaires. They were superstar athletes. [Shapiro] might have been where we were at, but we never called him to get us in anywhere.”
Updated Tuesday, Aug 16, 2011
