Steven Clarke (gridiron football)

Clarke played high school football for Boyd H. Anderson High School, where he was a defensive back, wide receiver, and running back. He was captain of the team in his final two years, and received All-State and All-County honorable mentions in his final year at Boyd Anderson. As a senior, he recorded 87 tackles, two sacks, and four interceptions as a defensive back, adding four touchdowns on the offense.[1] From 2010 to 2013, Clarke played for the Vanderbilt Commodores as a cornerback and kick returner.[1] He also briefly practiced as a running back in 2010.[2] Appearing in 49 games, he recorded 61 solo tackles and an interception during his four years with the Commodores.[3]

In October 2014, Clarke was one of ten named plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against several major broadcasting companies and NCAA athletic conferences seeking compensation.[13] In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that the images of college athletes in the Football Bowl Subdivision and men's basketball Division I were improperly used without permission.[14][15] While student athletes are required to sign forms allowing the NCAA to "generally promote" college sporting events, the athletes claimed that this term was overly vague and did not provide permission to commercially use their names or images.[14] The case was dismissed by a judge in June 2015, who ruled that the players' claims were not strong enough to prove they were legally entitled to money from appearing in televised sporting events.[16]