Boy, do we love it when one of our players gets a cool metaphor attached to him. Things like “high motor,” “lunch pail guy,” or — even though it’s not a metaphor, it is the Green Bay Packers’ very favorite word — “versatile.”
First-round pick Kenny Clark is now the proud holder of two of those titles. The Packers have called him versatile (of course!) and now one of his UCLA coaches has given him the “lunch pail” label.
“The way he goes about his life is consistent. The effort is the same all the time. You’re not going to see a drop-off in practice,” UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “He brings a lunch pail with him.”
As dumb as that statement sounds — he brings his lunch pail with him — the point is clear. Clark works hard.
He “brings his lunch pail with him” like a construction worker would.
Hopefully, that doesn’t mean he also takes a lot of bathroom and cigarette breaks. Trust me in that there’s a lot of time you want to kill when you’ve got eight hours on a job site.
But why is this important?
It’s important because Clark got booted out of Green Bay on Sunday and sent back to Los Angeles. UCLA is still in session and because of that, NFL rules dictate Clark has be there to finish up classes. In theory, that puts him behind the players who can stay in Green Bay for the offseason program.
It also leaves him to his own devices. As a young defensive lineman, that has to cause some concern. Primarily, everyone is probably wondering if he’ll stay in shape now that he’s been drafted.
The answer would seem to be yes. You know, because he’s a lunch pail guy.