Clark Creates Charity, Steelers Shuffle Secondary
PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) -- Steelers safety Ryan Clark won't play in the team's prime-time regular season opener against the host Denver Broncos Sunday, but on Tuesday he celebrated the creation of a non-profit organization centering on the sickle cell condition that will keep him out of Week 1.
The charity, Ryan Clark's Cure League, will work in concert with the University of Pittsburgh's Vascular Medicine Institute, and the Institute for Transfusion Medicine. The objective is "to raise awareness, donations and support that will enable Pitt research to drive better care and ultimately find a cure for this inherited blood disorder."
Clark missed much of the 2007 season and lost his spleen and gallbladder, along with significant weight, when it was discovered his condition is aggravated by strenuous physical activity at high altitudes.
Fans wanting to learn more can visit CureLeague.org, the newly-launched official website of Ryan Clark's Cure League.
Meanwhile, this will inevitably force head coach Mike Tomlin to tinker with his depth chart for Sunday. Woodland Hills product Ryan Mundy will apparently take Clark's spot at free safety, and he'll be backed up by rookie Robert Golden.
Golden is an undrafted free agent from the University of Arizona set to make his official NFL debut, while Mundy, entering his fourth year with Pittsburgh, is a logical fill-in, having already played regularly as part of the defense's "nickel" formations.
For the latest Steeler talk, fans can be sure to check out The Ryan Clark Show, co-hosted by Andrew Fillipponi and brought to you by Honda North and Bacardi Oakheart Rum, Tuesday nights this fall. Stay tuned to SportsRadio 93.7 The Fan for details.
