Interview with Clarence Ceasar

by Anne Adams
May 1, 2001 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)

by Anne Adams

(This is the second in a series of interviews with NIFL players)

In uniform for the Lake Charles Land Sharks, Clarence Ceasar is a serious competitor. The front office of the Land Sharks describes Clarence as, "probably the best defensive lineman in the entire league. As a former basketball player he can jump, and when he picks up his hands he is 10' tall. And he's fast - as fast as some of our running backs." Therefore, the Land Sharks will hold on to Clarence as long as possible, but it seems only a matter of time before he moves up. The scouts are constantly calling, most notably from Houston.

Clarence stands 6'7", and weighs 280 pounds. Natives of the sports-minded state of Louisiana, his parents live in Iowa, Louisiana, a small community just outside the city of Lake Charles. His father is retired from PPG, and his mother is in management for Wal-Mart. Clarence has a brother, Eric, 17 years old, and a sister Christina, 18 years old. Clarence, who is 29, first met his wife Jessica when they were children, and they more or less grew up together. Now married five years, they have a son Clarence Ceasar IV, age three and daughter Sydney who is seven months.

Clarence attended LSU on a full basketball scholarship where he majored in sociology, with a minor in social work. Basketball was a wonderful experience, especially playing on the LSU Tigers with Shaquille O'Neal, before he became famous. Clarence had a short stint in the NBA, and then played in Europe for three years. When his son was born, Clarence gave up basketball to be home and be a full time father to his son, explaining that family was the most important factor in his life.

The football opportunity found Clarence through an open call in the newspaper. He went down to the tryouts, competed in all the drills and there were many who thought he would not make the cut. But, as he will point out, Clarence is an athlete, not a basketball player, not a football player, not a baseball player, but an athlete. Of course, once signed, his size did determine his position on the team - defense!

Clarence expects only the best from the Land Sharks. He has always been a winner, starting with Little League baseball as a child. through basketball championships at LSU. And Clarence refuses to give less than 110 percent on every play. Not only does he have that winning attitude, but he has remained virtually injury free, only needing stitches once in his athletic career when he tore his knee on the turf.

If he had not gone into professional sports, he would probably be teaching or working with either abused children or children involved with drugs. Currently, Clarence devotes both time and energy to an all men's club called The Fellows. They help local schools raise money for books and computers, read at libraries, sponsor fundraisers, have canned goods drives at Thanksgiving, and donate toys at Christmas.

Clarence believes deeply in children and their education. To him, if you can't read or write, it means nothing to be a superior athlete. It is always possible to lose athletic ability due to an injury, but once you have an education, it will always be there. No one can take that from you. So his message to the kids is - get an education!

Off the field, Clarence focuses on quality time with his family. The simple things like playing in a nearby park with his children or walking hand in hand with his wife at sunset are typical. He enjoys R&B music, like Luther Vandross or Patti LaBelle, and is a bit of a romantic, enjoying the ballads and love songs more than any other type of music. He also likes to play some golf, and freely admits that he has a bad slice to the left. But for him, it is fun and relaxation, rather than a business opportunity. He doesn't make any deals on the golf course. He just spends a couple of hours enjoying good friends and the sunshine.

And finally I asked Clarence my signature question. "Someday, when they make a movie of your life, what actor would you like to see play you in the movie"? His answer: "Well, Denzel Washington would be my first choice but he is too short. So, I would choose Michael Clarke Duncan, most notable for his performance in The Green Mile."

National Indoor Football League Stories from May 1, 2001

• Interview with Clarence Ceasar - OSC Original by Anne Adams

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