Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Clark's college football position?

I know Clark played football in college. Do we know what position he played?

I don't know if it was addressed directly in the series, but he had the ball from the Championship game and I think that always goes to the quarterback.

I also checked with my husband (who is a HUGE comic book and Smallville fan) and he says he can't think of any incarnation where Clark has played anything other than quarterback.

Incidentally, Dean Cain played free safety when he played football.

Hope this helps!

There's a number of game balls that are given to any number of players for a wide variety of reasons. Big touchdown, first fumble recovery [for defense] etc. Remember the guy with the Sharpie a couple years ago? I've seen him as quarterback, running back and receiver I think in fic but it's never addressed in the series...

This is relevant to something I'm writing, except I need some help.

Could somebody please explain exactly what a quarterback does?

Thanks.

Corrina.

Oh, and the 'free safety' sounds like the medical guy on the boundary. I'm guessing it's not.

Take a look at this Wikipedia page on "Safety":
http : //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_ ( American_football )

(remove the spaces; problem with the parentheses)

and on quarterbacks,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarterback

Hope it helps.

malu

Yes, it helped a lot. Thanks.

Just to clarify. A quarterback would rarely kick the ball - mostly, he would throw it, right?

Thanks.

Corrina.

Honestly, I know very little about American football.

But I think that is true. The teams usually have designated "kickers". The quarterback would pretty much throw the ball forward (there are many movies showing this pass, as one of the main plays).

malu

Yeah - quarterback is the guy that gets the ball at the beginning of the play then either hands it to someone else [usually a running back] or throws it to someone down the field [usually a receiver]. Professional and college teams will have two main kinds of kickers - place kickers and punters. Punters hold the ball in their hand and kick away [you have four downs, or tries to make it 10 yards or the other team gets the ball where you are - if, after three tries you're not anywhere close, most of the time you'll punt]. Place kickers kick off at the beginning of the half or after the other team scores. They also kick for the extra point after a touch down.

That's actually not true. There are several balls used during a game, and they may go to the QB, or are awarded to those who scored touchdowns, intercepted a lot of passes, etc. Dean was a defensive back (free safety), so I have always figured Clark was a defensive player, too. With his speed and athleticism, he would be a real asset on either side of the ball, though.

My other rationale for why he wasn't a QB is that with his increasing powers, I doubt he would want to be the "star" on the field; he'd want to blend in, and that's most likely on one of the lines.

I have actually covered Division I football, and in regular games, they didn't give the balls away to players.

Funny, I got the impression that the ball shown in "All Shook Up" was like a trophy or an award ball, since it had a white panel with the writing on it. I'm fairly certain that the NCAA regulation footballs are uniformly brown.

It says "Game Ball Presented To" with "Clark Kent" in script below. Then it gives the score: "Midwest U 14 State U 7." There is also a large gold-colored "M" to the left of all the printing. Balls like that are often given at season's end during a banquet or other fancy presentation.

In one of my stories, I made Clark a defensive back for his college team. Given his height and build, it seems to be his logical position. And as EditorJax suggested, he probably wouldn't want the scrutiny a winning quarterback faces.

Oh, the guy with the Sharpie? That was Terrell Owens, an NFL wide receiver, when he played for San Francisco in 2002. I thought he was fined for the stunt, but he wasn't. A rule was soon after put in place, however, to prevent players from performing any kind of touchdown celebration with the ball other than a traditional spike (throwing the ball down on the turf) or jumping up and either dunking it or laying it up over the goal post (as if it were a basketball).

You know Terry - I'd noticed the color thing too but didn't think any further than that... Maybe he was MVP or something of the game...

Which is the episode where the ball appears? I just can't remember.

malu

ASU when Lois takes him back to his apartment.

If Clark was a defensive back - would he kick the ball? Or throw it?

Thanks.

He would try to stop other guys from doing that though there's always the possibility that he would get an interception from the other team's quarterback...

More description than that will have to wait for someone with more knowledge than I about defensive football players...

There are several DB positions, but I will explain the free safety, which is what Dean played. The FS is on the defense, which is on the other side of the line when the other team has the ball. He tends to be smaller and faster than some of the other DBs -- which doesn't surprise me since Dean's barely 6 feet.

When the quarterback (from the other team) throws the ball, the FS is supposed to kind of hang back and then follow the ball. When the ball is passed, not thrown, the FS is supposed to chase down the receiver who has the ball (passed from the QB to him) and basically prevent him from gaining yards across the field.

Because they are speedy and go deep on the field, free safeties commonly intercept the ball (when the defensive player catches a ball intended for the receiver from the other team, thus giving his team back the ball) -- which would be one reason why Clark has a game ball. Given his speed, I could see him leading his team in interceptions.

Wow, thanks for that.

What does the FS *do* with the ball once he has intercepted it? Does that actual player dispose of the ball?

From your description, the skills needed for a FS are running, anticipating and catching, but he doesn't need to kick or throw it.

Also, if kids are playing in the park, would they copy 'plays'? Would they all pretend to be the QB and throw the ball to the receivers?

Thanks for all the information!

Corrina.

Once the FS intercepts the ball, he would run as far the other direction as he can - towards the other end zone so he can get a touchdown of his own. It could be anything from catching it as he stumbles out of bounds to running it nearly the full length of the field the other direction [up to 110 yds depending on where he catches it - if he catches it at the very back of the other endzone that's about how far it would be] or anywhere in between. The offensive guys, line backers, quarterback, receivers etc would then try to stop him by tackling him or pushing him out of bounds.

Kids playing in the park could try to copy actual plays. They may take turns in the different positions or they may have positions that they rotate [like clark is qb this week, pete next, josh the week after etc] or clark may be great at catching but can't throw to save his life. Or the kid who owns the football may claim his favorite position [probably qb for himself] or threaten to take the ball and go home =D.

And he still holds some kind of record that has never been broken.


Excellent take, Jax. I like it.

Jax, you covered football? In what aspect? Do I remember correctly that you once noted you are a reporter of some kind?

I actually knew what you were talking about. I’m surprised. I was in band in high school and learned early on to keep my mouth shut till someone nudged me to cheer (also part of the band’s job).

Scratching my head. I never did understand football very well except for a touch down and then the thing where they can get an extra point (points?) after the touch down.

Gosh, I’ve been a Supes fan since around the age of 4. Quarterback is the only thing that I can remember, but what Jax and Terry said make so much more sense than for Clark to play quarterback. But I don’t think it was ever addressed in LnC.

I'm actually an editor, but I have done some sports reporting, including covering Division I football (my alma mater, during its last bowl season), and high schools. I'm married to a sports reporter, so he has influenced me.

In college, they can't fine you, but the opposing coach gets the choice of having a 15-yard penalty assessed on the extra point (the team who scored the touchdown gets to try to kick an extra point -- or try to run the ball in for an extra two, but the kick is more common) so they would have to back up 15 yards from the 10-yardline, which is where they usually kick the extra point, or the opposing team would be penalized 15 yards during kickoff to the other team, so they would kick off to the other team from the 25-yardline, not the 40, thus giving the receiving team much better field position when it takes control of the ball.

Basically, you don't do it, or you're potentially screwing over your team.

/bows. And also, that's because the QB is usually the cutest.

Also, it just ocurred to me, I doubt L&C's Clark would have played QB, anyway, since Joe Malloy did, and I bet he would have said something when Lois mentioned her "dating the quarterback" phase in high school, along the lines of, "well, soon you'll be slee ... uh, married to one."

Yes, I think you are right.

Thanks for all the explanations. They were really helpful - not only with information but showing how hard it is to comprehend when we're familiar with very different games.

Corrina.

Since we are deep into Superbowl season,I was reminded of this thread watching the many games. The QB can run with the ball and make the touchdown himself if the situation warrants. It's just that passing it gets it further down field toward the goal line than carrying it does. For instance, in a scrimmage at the 1 yard line, he can keep the ball and dive over the other team.
Another important play is "sacking" the quarterback. The defensive team prevents the QB from throwing the ball by pulling him down to the ground. This doesn't happen often if the QB's team protects him sufficiently.

Yeah, I can't get cricket at all. It's a total mystery to me.

Artemis