Former Jets lineman fueled Mekhi Becton's 2023 comeback

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Cameron Clark was so excited to get down to the field to celebrate a year-in-the-making moment that he couldn't wait for the suite-level elevator at MetLife Stadium. He headed for the stairwell, raced down six flights, went straight for the New York Jets' sideline and threw his arms around Mekhi Becton.

"I'm so proud of him," Clark would say later.

Only those close to Clark and Becton -- the talented, but star-crossed offensive tackle -- could appreciate the significance of that on-field embrace. It happened last Saturday night after Becton's first NFL game at right tackle, a performance so impressive that it earned him a promotion to the starting lineup this week, a milestone in his comeback story.

During the darkest period in Becton's life -- a two-year stretch that included two right knee surgeries, a substantial weight gain and a sobering self-examination -- it was Clark who emerged as his guardian angel. He was part life coach and part trainer, making it his job -- quite literally -- to see to it that Becton didn't toss away his career.

A former Jets offensive lineman, Clark was hired by the team in the spring as a seasonal intern in player development. In reality, the only player he was charged with developing was Becton, a close friend since they met in 2020 at a pre-draft training facility in Frisco, Texas.

"He's been a huge part of my comeback," Becton told ESPN. "He has helped me out in a lot of different ways that he doesn't even know."

And vice versa. Like Becton, Clark was a wounded player at one time, searching for his identity after a doctor told him he had to give up football or risk paralysis because of a spinal cord injury. He needed a purpose.

He found it in Mekhi Becton.

BECTON WAS THE No. 11 pick in 2020 from Louisville, arriving with a big reputation, a big nickname ("Big Ticket") and one of the biggest bodies the NFL had ever seen (6-foot-7, 363 pounds).

Clark, a 6-foot-4, 308-pound guard/tackle, was a lesser-known prospect from the University of Charlotte. He was drafted that year in the fourth round, 118 picks after Becton, who said it was "a surreal moment" when he discovered that his buddy had been selected earlier by the Jets.

The Frisco Friends were reunited. Surely they would be part of the same offensive line for years to come.

Except they never played a single game together.

While Becton flourished as a rookie -- he was top 15 among rookies in both run block win rate and pass block win rate -- Clark missed the season due to a shoulder injury. It was during that period that Clark developed a stronger affinity for Becton, which ultimately led to the mentorship.

"I was in the shadows, watching his ascension, as he was continuing to grow and dominate, week-in and week-out," Clark told ESPN. "That's one of the reasons why I feel so passionate about Mekhi in general. I know what he's capable of doing when given the opportunity."

The 2021 season brought renewed hope the two would play together, but their careers -- their lives -- were altered in a span of 40 days.

In the season opener against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, Becton suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee. By then, Clark's season was already over. On Aug. 3, in a training camp practice, he was pass blocking from his right guard position. A defensive end came crashing into him and nothing was ever the same.

"As soon as I hit the defensive end," Clark said, "my whole body went limp."

He was motionless on the grass, unable to move his legs. Teammates dropped to their knees to pray. It was eerily silent. An ambulance arrived. It was the worst possible football scene.

Clark said there had been an "episode" earlier in practice, describing what felt like a stinger. He kept playing, he says, because that's what football players do. The next hit was his last hit.

"I was extremely scared," Clark said. "I just kept telling myself, 'There's no way this is the way it's going to end for me.' I really didn't understand what was going on because I was concussed as well, but they asked me in the ambulance, could I feel my feet? They started tickling me and the trainer dropped his head. That's when I knew it was serious."

It would take an hour -- the longest of his life, he said -- before the feeling returned to his lower extremities. Becton, too, was scared. At the team facility, he kept texting Clark and bugging people for information. The Jets diagnosed Clark as having a spinal cord contusion. At first, he thought there was a chance he could return by the end of the preseason. He went for a second opinion at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, and the news was crushing.

If he continued to play football, a doctor told him, there was a 50% chance on every play that he'd experience paralysis -- either temporary or permanent.

"It would be like flipping a coin," Clark said of the odds.

He was diagnosed with cervical cord neuropraxia, also known as transient quadriplegia, a rare and dangerous spine/neck injury caused by trauma. He can lead a normal life, but his professional playing career was over before it began. He never played a snap in a regular-season NFL game. He was 23. To help with the transition to his post-football life, Clark said he sought counseling at a mental-health facility in New Jersey.

Meanwhile, Becton was struggling with his own injury. He was expected to return during the 2021 season, the Jets said at the time, but his rehab was difficult and he started to gain weight. Weeks turned into months, and the scrutiny intensified as fans wondered why he wasn't playing. He was trashed on social media and called a "bust."

The criticism hit hard.

"You got a lot of people who say stuff about you, say little things about you," Becton said. "I try not to let the words get to me. That was the hardest part, trying to get my mental right."

Clark could tell the injury was taking a toll on his friend, so he invited Becton to join him at the mental-health facility. And so he did, strengthening their bond.

From that point, Clark became a fixture in Becton's life. They kept in touch when Clark moved back home to Charlotte. Becton appeared to be headed in the right direction before a second injury to his right knee -- last August, in training camp -- sent his career into a tailspin.

Major surgery followed, ending his 2022 season before it started. Becton's weight ballooned to 400 pounds -- 37 above his pre-draft weight. A 400-pound man, with a twice-repaired knee, has no shot in the NFL.

"I knew it was time to make a change," Clark said. "With the right support, Mekhi is a dangerous man."

Basically, Clark staged an intervention, suggesting to Becton that he change his agent and personal trainer. Becton agreed on both fronts, opting for a New York-based agency (Sportstars) and the Parisi Speed School in New Jersey.

In turn, Clark moved to New Jersey so he could be with his friend on a daily basis. His internship with the Jets allowed him to be at the facility, where he was able to monitor Becton. He attended the entire offseason program, from April to June. He was at training camp from Day 1 until Thursday, when his internship ended. Clark said he's grateful to the organization for the opportunity.

Coach Robert Saleh described the Becton-Clark relationship as "fruitful," noting that an advocate in the player-development department can often connect with a player on a different level than, say, a teammate or a coach or a family member.

"Mekhi and Cam have gotten really close," Saleh said. "... It's really helped Mekhi grow as a person, as a father and as an athlete."

Clark pushed Becton in the weight room, preached the importance of diet and nutrition and used film study to sharpen Becton's blocking technique. In training camp, he offered feedback after each practice. Big on motivational quotes, he's always plying Becton with shots of wisdom.

"He's such an old soul, an old country soul," Becton said, smiling. "He's got a bunch of analogies, a lot of quotes and sayings that make me think."

Two of Clark's favorites:

"If not you, then who?"

"If not now, then when?"

This is Becton's "now" moment.

He reported to camp at 350 pounds, his lowest weight since college. After four weeks of building strength in his knee with a gradual increase in reps, Becton can lock up the right tackle position with a solid showing against the New York Giants on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium. He was once opposed to playing right tackle, based, in part, on his doctor's advice. He was told it put additional stress on his surgically repaired right knee, which is managed daily by the training staff.

After two years in limbo, Becton is back, feeling like he belongs again.

"It's been a conscious effort by all of us to make him feel like he's a part of this thing," said quarterback Aaron Rodgers, sensing Becton might have felt like an outsider because of the isolation injured players often experience. "He's so talented. He's humongous and he's athletic for a man who's 6-foot-[7] and 350. So I'm excited about seeing him out there."

Rodgers, who said Becton is "a big teddy bear on the inside," promised him they'd have lunch together once a week in the team cafeteria. For the first lunch, Becton kept it lean: fish and veggies. He has learned a lot.

CLARK DREW INSPIRATION from Becton before they even met. While playing at Charlotte, one of his coaches showed him a tape of Becton dominating opponents at Louisville. The coach gushed about Becton, perhaps sending a message. Clark responded by playing the game of his life against Clemson, enhancing his NFL stock.

Four years later, they're inspiring each other.

"Nobody is perfect and you're going to get down on your luck, but it takes somebody real in your corner to not give up on you and to say, 'We can fix this,' and not throw you away," Clark said. "I cherish our relationship."

Becton said, "It's definitely a two-way street. I feel like I have a part in what he's doing. I want him to be great in his field and what he does."

While Clark helped save Becton's career, it was Becton who helped find Clark a new career.

Retired from playing, Clark is now an offensive-line specialist based in Charlotte. He owns a company called Abundance Performance, which provides training for NFL prospects and current linemen. He teaches everything from proper technique to injury prevention in what he calls a holistic program. In his first year, he trained two players for the NFL combine who wound up being drafted. He also worked with a dozen NFL linemen.

"I miss football a ton, but I really feel like everything happened for a reason," Clark said. "When I get an opportunity to work with guys like Mekhi, pouring myself into other guys' careers, it's a full-circle moment. I truly feel like it's divine timing. I ended up where I'm supposed to end up, doing what I'm supposed to do and affecting the people I'm supposed to affect."

On his LinkedIn page, Clark lists himself as an "entrepreneur, motivator, visionary and philanthropist." This isn't how he envisioned his life. He wanted to be a football player, but now he does it vicariously through Becton.

"When I watch Mekhi play, it's almost like I'm playing," he said. "I get a rush."