The past week was quite stressful for Jadrian Clark: Not only did the quarterback have numerous appointments after winning the ELF title with Rhein Fire, but on top of that the apartment in Düsseldorf also had to be emptied; In the coming months he will be living in Hamburg again with his girlfriend.
Although that is only partially true, because Clark will also use the free time in the European League of Football to do his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the “University of the West of England (UWE)” in Bristol. This was always planned after Clark had completed his bachelor’s degree in the USA, but recently there was no time. “I was always so busy with football and life in Europe,” Clark explained in an interview with our editorial team.
But now the 29-year-old is finally pursuing his lifelong dream, because this time everything fits: UWE has offered Clark a full scholarship, including accommodation and a little pocket money. In addition, the time frame is optimal: he will be in Bristol until the beginning of April (with a six-week break), after which he can work on his homework from Germany until September in order to complete his master’s degree in October 2024. “Everything just fits together perfectly,” Clark said.
As is well known, the ELF season takes place between April and October. So the quarterback can easily return to Rhein Fire; his contract ended on September 30th and would not run again until May 1st, 2024. That’s also the plan: “I’m very happy and would like to extend,” Clark made it clear. Rhein Fire will see it no differently. However, not all ELF regulations for the coming season are known yet, including when it comes to player pay. Once that is the case, things will probably move quickly.
So in the meantime Clark is playing in England. The level of the college league varies greatly. According to Clark, he has several teammates who played in the top college leagues in the USA. Another ELF player, Lawrence Cornwall-Baptiste, is also coming to Bristol. The UWE Bullets have not lost a game in more than two years and have won two titles. But football is only a secondary priority for Clark: “I’m going there primarily to get my master’s degree. Football is a secondary matter.”
It could even be that Clark isn’t on the field at all. Like probably every football player, he didn’t make it through the ELF season completely unscathed and wants to give his body some rest first. “I’m taking my time and concentrating on my master’s degree. If my body feels better, then I might play,” Clark said. But his scholarship doesn’t depend on it; It would also be completely within scope if Clark only acted in some kind of coaching role.
This is also one reason why Clark decided to pursue an MBA now. “All I ever wanted to do was continue to educate myself, see the world and play football. When I turn 30, I’ll have pretty much achieved my goals,” explained Clark, whose birthday is in April. “I couldn’t be happier and more grateful for everyone who made this possible for me: my family, God, my friends, my amazing girlfriend and everyone who has been so supportive of me on this journey. I won an ELF title, an MVP and am fulfilling a lifelong dream with an MBA. Life is really good at the moment.”
2023-10-03 11:33:52
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