KALAMAZOO, MI - Western Michigan's Steven Clark waited eight months to get back on the football field, but it was the final few days leading up to the Broncos' Week 1 matchup with USC that dragged on the longest for the junior defensive tackle.
After playing his first two seasons at Syracuse, team doctors medically disqualified Clark due to a rare blood condition that can cause abnormal clots.
Clark sought second and third opinions, and both agreed that his condition, factor V Leiden, shouldn't require medication or prevent him from playing football.
WMU trainers looked over more than 200 pages worth of documents regarding Clark's health and research on the genetic mutation, ultimately deciding that the Alabama native was well enough to play for the Broncos.