By: Brooklyn Fernandez ’26
I recall non-stop smiling from Jeremy Clark after the ending of last years battle for the boot. He stood tall and proud as Derby came out with the win and took back the boot for the first time in twenty years. You can see the happiness on his face with every picture taken after the game.
Clark is the head coach of Derby High School’s football team. Through and through, he is a guy who grew up in the valley. He attended Woodland High School where he played football and baseball. Clark speaks very highly of where he grew up, saying, “This area is special…I was able to grow up in a close-knit community with families native to the area. My family is from here and making my home here has been rewarding.” Clark believes having the kind of community where everyone looks out for each other is special and something he appreciates about the area. He says, “Growing up with the same friend group I have to this day is something I wouldn’t trade for the world.” Where he grew up and the relationships he has made here are clearly of high importance to him, and having that close, supportive community has made the time even better for him.
Clark says, “Valley football, I learned at a young age, is a part of the identity that is the Naugatuck Valley.” He knows how important football is to the valley. Clark grew up in Beacon Falls, has seen Woodland Regional High School win back-to-back state titles and knew they were the people who lived on the same road as him, played sports outside in the neighborhood, and who always looked out for him. For these reasons, he says, “I knew one day that football would be exciting.”
When Clark started high school, he was scared because he had never played football before, but was “excited to one day be that same leader in the community the guys I looked up to were.” During his four years of coaching, there was the invention of the Naugatuck Valley League blog, where people began debating the question of who was going to win that week. It is similar to things such as twitter or any groupchat where people who were high school fans would debate about what high schools would win whenever a blog was created. Clark says, “I took immense pride of being a small-school football player and am extremely lucky for the experience I had playing here in the valley.”
The most important people who have impacted Clark were his own parents. He says, “My parents made me the way that I am today.” Clark’s father started an equipment repair business right in their backyard and as he was growing up, and showed him what hard work was and also most importantly, how to treat people. Clark’s mother “is an absolute warrior”, having raised three boys, driving them to their sports every night of the week and supporting them in anything they wanted to do. Clark says, his mother is “the backbone for the family.” Both of Clark’s parents have taught him to always be honest, work hard, and to show up for the people that you care about. He says, “My parents still to this day show up at Derby games to support me, and even as annoying as it is when I will get notes from my mom on what went wrong, I appreciate them there supporting me. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without their leadership.”
Before coaching, Clark was involved in the music industry in her early twenties. He lived in vans, stayed at hotels, and couch-surfed as he would travel across the country multiple times a year. He played bass and sang in punk metal bands. He traveled and played in 48 out of 50 states. He says, “Music and art have always been a passion of mine outside of sports. It is cool to see so many bands I used to tour with be nominated for Grammys today.” While Clark has been able to see the country, make amazing friends, and once thought he would live in Baltimore or Nashville, he says, “Every time I left this area, I missed it.” He loves the community and coming home every day to people he loves and cares about. Clark hopes to one day have a family and “have them grow up in this community I was raised in. There is truly no place like the valley.” He traveled a lot, but always came back here. He knows that the valley is and will always be his home. This is not just because of his family, but because of the community.
After Clark hung up his cleats, he said his old head coach told him, “One day we are going to tap you on the shoulder to come give back to the program that helped make you.” Clark did not think he was going to get that call or have the opportunity, so within a year of graduating, he decided he wanted to see the world and try other things. Clark is thankful for the persistence of a long-time coach who he would get a phone call from every year asking him to come coach. He says, “There is no other place I’d rather coach, where the rivalries are personal, the opponents, the history and the competition makes it all the more important.” Clark was lucky to have the opportunity to coach with some of the best coaches in the state, saying, “Taking over a valley program of my own has been special. There is no fun coaching anywhere else.” Being a team in the NVL and knowing all of your opponents, Clark says, “You have history with every school and every week is a rivalry week.” Though Clark wasn’t so quick to say yes to coming back to coach, he’s glad he made the decision to return. His passion for coaching only grows while seeing the teams he has once coached strive. He has deep care for his players and wants to see them succeed not only as football players, but as people in the real world.
Quincy Carter ‘26, a captain for the football team says, “Clark is a very prideful and dedicated football coach as he takes pride in the football program and encourages us to never give up. My experience playing football with him was very fun as I got to make a lot of big memories within the team and with coach Clark himself.” Carter also says, “I like that he’s very energetic and outgoing as he picks the team up when the moods are low. He is a person to rely on when you need it and someone I can always talk to about anything.” Carter expresses the countless memories made and his happiness through the four years he has played football for Clark. He knows that he has developed an unforgettable bond that will last forever.
Having a connection to the place you come from is one of the most important relationships you can have. It gives you a sense of home—a place that will always welcome you back with open arms. Many of the most meaningful relationships in your life are formed where you were born and raised. Clark emphasizes this idea through the lasting connections he has made and continues to maintain today. He leaves us with a final message that the bonds and memories formed in one’s hometown are deeply cherished and last a lifetime.
The Raider Press 