When I was working at the Sports Editor for The Patriot Press, I was lucky enough to run into NFL safety Clinton Hart at a high school game I was covering for the St. Petersburg Times. I spoke with Hart at the game, and then again a few times on the phone. Hart had played college baseball at Central Florida Community College, so I started a series where we monitored Hart’s progress in the NFL–as he was the first pro athlete to ever come from CFCC. This is the introduction to that series that ran in 2003.
Everyone who has ever put on shoulder pads and strapped on a helmet has dreamt of running out of the tunnel on a Sunday afternoon into a stadium of 60,000 screaming fans.
While the dream is unattainable for many, Clinton Hart’s dream is on the verge of becoming a reality. Hart, a former CFCC pitcher and outfielder, recently signed a 3-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles for the league minimum of $225,000, but his rise to the NFL is anything but ordinary.
A two time All-State Selection as a defensive back at South Sumter High School, Hart a gifted athlete, went on to play baseball at CFCC in 1998, but it wasn’t until 2001 that Hart decided to make his return to the gridiron.
“I went to a tryout for the Arena League in Tallahassee, and played a year with the Tampa Bay Storm,” said Hart, a Bushnell native.
Hart played defensive back and wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL, and hauled in 24 receptions for 242 yards and a touchdown while amassing 68 tackles and picking off three passes, which was more than enough to catch the eye of a Philadelphia scout.
“They sent me to Europe to play before the preseason,” said Hart of Philadelphia’s choice to send him to a developmental team in Europe. “I played the preseason with the Eagles, but was cut before the season started. They brought me back halfway through the year and offered me a three year deal.”
While the summer in Europe, and a year on the Eagles practice squad may make all the difference in Hart’s level of performance in the NFL, it is the lessons he has learned from teammates Brian Dawkins, Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent that have made the biggest impression on Hart.
“It is nice being around those guys,” said Hart of his opportunity to play in an NFL secondary that boasts three Pro Bowl selections. “I have learned a lot from them. I’m just adding it all to my circle of talent. They are a great influence on someone like me coming into a system like Philadelphia’s. They are good role models.”
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