Former Iowa, NFL tight end Dallas Clark named to 12-member John Mackey Award Select Committee

 

Former Iowa tight end Dallas Clark (right) visits with '23 Hawkeye signees Ben Kueter (left) and Leighton Jones during Hawkeye spring practice the morning of March 30, 2023 at the program's indoor facility in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HawkFanatic.com)

 

Breaking News/ Football

Pat Harty  

August 19, 2026

 

By hawkeyesports.com

 

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa football consensus All-American Dallas Clark has been named to the 12-member committee for the John Mackey Award to select college football’s most outstanding tight end.

 

The award’s selection process will be led by a committee whose collective experience spans generations, positions and levels of the game.  The group will include former NFL players, John Mackey Award winners, Super Bowl championships, All-Americans, coaches, executives and broadcasters who remain actively connected to football today.

The 12-person committee will include: Jake Butt, Brian Mitchell, Greg Jones, Jake Marsh, Noah Eagle, Nick O’Leary, Dallas Clark, Aaron Taylor, Jarvis Johnson, Adam Breneman and Owen Daniels.

Clark (2002), O’Leary (Florida State, 2014) and Butt (Michigan, 2016) are former John Mackey Award recipients.

Clark, who lettered for the Hawkeyes from 2000-02, was a consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2022 after leading Iowa to a Big Ten title and an 11-2 record.  He finished with 1,281 receiving yards at Iowa and was inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

After declaring for the NFL Draft, Clark was a first round selection of the Indianapolis Colts in 2023.  He played for the Colts (2003-11), Buccaneers (2012) and Ravens (2013) during his professional career. 

He was a starter for the Colts’ Super Bowl champion team in 2006.

During his professional career, Clark was first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2009.  He also is named to the Colts’ Ring of Honor. He had 505 receptions for 5,665 yards and 53 touchdowns as a professional and he broke several of Mackey’s franchise tight end records in Indianapolis.

Iowa has had two players win the Mackey Award – Clark and T.J. Hockenson in 2018. Sam LaPorta (2022) was a finalist and Tony Moeaki (2009), Allen Reisner (2010) and Noah Fant (2018) were semifinalists. Third-year DJ Vonnahme is on the John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List this season.

https://hawkfanatic.com/2026/08/19/former-iowa-nfl-tight-end-dallas-clark-named-to-12-member-john-mackey-award-select-committee/

Tom Arth, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

Steelers HC Mike McCarthy Already Ahead of Mike Tomlin in One Area

Brendan Howe  |  Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback coach Tom Arth helps coach during a mini camp practice. Ed Thompson/Steelers Now

UNITY TWP, Pa. — During his tenure as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach, Mike Tomlin had a very sparse coaching tree. His successor, Mike McCarthy, believes he already has an assistant who will lead an NFL team someday.

Tom Arth, entering his third season as the Steelers’ quarterback coach, has tutored Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers during his time in that role.

“I just go back to when I first met Tom, in Green Bay, as a player,” McCarthy said before Friday’s training camp practice at St. Vincent College. “Just very, very detail-minded. You could see. I was not surprised at all that he went into coaching. He has phenomenal work ethic. I see Tom, our offices are right next to each other. He’s in office extremely early each morning, before 5 a.m. I walk in there at 5 a.m., so he’s rocking and rolling.

“He has a great rapport with the players. He’s a good, fundamental coach. But you gotta love his resume. He’s played, he’s been a head coach, he’s been at different levels. He has really good NFL experience, so I think Tom is definitely a future head coach in this league.”

Arth previously served as the passing game specialist for the Los Angeles Chargers (2022-23), as well as the head coach at Akron (2019-21), Chattanooga (2017-18) and John Carroll (2013-16).

https://steelersnow.com/steelers-hc-mike-mccarthy-already-ahead-of-mike-tomlin-in-one-area/

Tyler Linderbaum Already Becoming Raiders Offensive Centerpiece

 

Throughout the first week of training camp, it has become clear that Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum is a massive figure for the franchise.

 

Jared Feinberg | August 6, 2026

May 28, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum (65) speaks during a news conference during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

 

The center position is never considered the most valuable among the five spots along the offensive line. It is always the left or right tackle and is considered the most valuable in positional value discourse online. For the Las Vegas Raiders, having a stout center can make life easier for an offense in a rebuild.

Last fall, the Raiders had the worst offense in football, including the worst offensive line. General manager John Spytek addressed this in the offseason, signing Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum to a record-breaking deal with a $27 million average annual value, the largest for the position in league history.

Building Offensive Line Cohesion Starts with Linderbaum

May 28, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum (65) speaks during a news conference during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

 

Linderbaum showed in Baltimore why he is the best center in the sport, showcasing the communication skills that make a great offensive line. He sets the protections, IDs pressure, and is an active communicator up front.

Linderbaum is always a terrific player, with excellent athleticism and power for the position, paired with quality technique and discipline across the board.

Having an elite center is a game-changer for any offensive line, and it is why the Raiders and their hefty salary cap were able to land Linderbaum on such a massive deal. As the team continues to find its way, so does the offensive line with the former Iowa Hawkeye.

Sep 14, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum (64) before the game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

 

Offensive line coach Rick Dennison has been around for a long time, once an offensive coordinator for fun offenses in the 2000s and 2010s, including the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. As one of the veteran coaches on staff, Dennison is overseeing how impactful Linderbaum's mere presence is upfront during training camp, as it connects everything.

Raiders Offensive Line Coach Shares Perspective of Linderbaum's Early Impact

• "I think it's all tied with the center. The center ties both sides," Dennison explained. "He's the biggest piece, and we feel obviously really good about Tyler. So, he's done a great job as far as leading them, not just by example, but making calls and getting everybody on the same page."

When you think of good centers in the NFL, think of how well the offensive line performs around them. Outside of touching the ball on almost every play, centers create continuity, connections, and stability that are rarely found on most offensive lines around the league. Linderbaum is allowing the Raiders to emerge from a bottom-of-the-barrel unit to maybe a vastly improved one.

May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum (65) warms up during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• "I don't think anybody won't benefit from Tyler. I mean, I think he's done a really good job," Dennison said. "He's athletic, and again, he leads. He does all the drills. But I think everybody on there has worked their tail off, right? I really do. I think they came in with a great attitude. We're going to do the best we can, we're going to improve and get better every day, and you can see him strive for it right there.”

Linderbaum is going to make everyone around him better by just being on the field. That is what separates the great players from the good, and it could change the Raiders' offense for the better. Having a center like Linderbaum for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza eases so much of the pressure on young signal-callers like him.

It would come as no surprise to see Linderbaum earn All-Pro honors this season for what he may do with Las Vegas, and he may become one of the franchise's best signings in years when all is said and done.

https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi/las-vegas-tyler-linderbaum-already-becoming-offensive-centerpiece