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Dallas Cowboys player Alijah Clark turned heads this weekend when he showed incredible energy to force a key turnover in the team’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
On a Cowboys punt, Clark was pushed several times but still got up to fumble Xavier Gipson. Many fans and NFL players applauded Clark, including former star passer Shawne Merriman, who told PK Press Club Digital that this type of effort is exactly what any coach would want to see from a player.
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Shawne Merriman #56 of the San Diego Chargers warms up on the field before the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the New England Patriots held on January 14, 2007 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. (Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
“It was a clear record of what you want to show to every high school student in the country,” Merriman said. “People come to me all the time, they want to play in the NFL, that’s what I would show them. If you ever want to make a team, if you don’t know if you can make a team or not, you do it, you put yourself in the best position to make that 53-man roster. It’s a clear practice tape of all the effort of what these young players need to see.”
Clark joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent this year. Merriman said it’s that kind of play that will keep him on a roster for a long time.
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Dallas Cowboys safety Alijah Clark (38) and cornerback Trikweze Bridges (25) react in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on October 26, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
“That’s what determines whether a guy is going to make a team or not. I always tell guys, ‘The more you can do.’ If you can run into special teams and make a play like that, I know guys who have been in the NFL for a really long time and made plays like that, and that’s what you have to do,” Merriman added.
While the Cowboys failed to gain any points after the play, Dallas managed to win the game 24-21.
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He has appeared in six games for Dallas and has 15 tackles.
