FRISCO, Texas — It's always a positive when someone can be a testimony for another who's going through adversity that matches what they once went through, and that's the type of blessing Damone Clark is looking to be for DeMarvion Overshown in the Dallas Cowboys' linebackers' room going into the 2024 season.
Overshown, the former third-round pick in 2023, suffered a torn ACL last August that ended both an outstanding first-ever NFL training camp and a season that carried a ton of promise for the former Longhorn.
Clark, the former fourth-round pick in 2022, underwent a spinal fusion procedure in his neck ahead of that year's draft that nearly turned him into a redshirt as a rookie before he'd ultimately make his debut ahead of schedule that very October.
This makes Clark uniquely qualified to mentor Overshown in this capacity.
"I just told him to have faith," said Clark. "D-Mo comes in everyday — ready. He's itching to get out there. I was telling him it was the same thing for me.I looked at last year as my rookie year, just getting thrown in the fire my first year and having a full season under me last year."
That is precisely what Overshown is facing in Year 2, being looked upon to be a major contributor, on special teams as well, which means he'll need to do everything he can to shorten his learning curve as a redshirt sophomore in Dallas' system, all while trying to mentally leap the final hurdles required to be fully comfortable with his surgically reconstructed knee.
And it must all happen for a new coordinator, his second in as many seasons.
"I told him God won't give you [any] more than you can handle or bear," Clark said of his continued advice to Overshown. "Obviously, he's gonna think about his knee, but I tell him to try and not think about it, or it'll slow him down. It was a learning experience for me. Thinking about my neck slowed me down."
It will be paramount that Overshown returns to top form as soon as is possible, but also without unreasonably pushing the issue this summer, because his emergence ties directly into the progression of Clark and the addition of Eric Kendricks and rookie third-round pick Marist Liufau to lead a revamped and upgraded group of linebackers into September and beyond.
But, for Overshown, it's as Clark said: have faith.
