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Dallas Cowboys player Alijah Clark turned heads over the weekend when he showed off incredible hustle to force a key turnover during the team’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
During a Cowboys punt, Clark was pushed down multiple times but still got back up to cause Xavier Gipson to fumble. Many NFL fans and players applauded Clark, including former star pass rusher Shawne Merriman, who told Fox News Digital that type of effort is exactly what any coach would want to see out of 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 Jan. 14, 2007 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. (Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
“It was clear coaching tape of what you want to show every high school kid in the country,” Merriman said. “People come up 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’re on the fence whether you can make a team or not, you do that, you put yourself in the best position to make that 53-man roster. That’s clear coaching tape of all-out effort of what these young players need to see.”
Clark joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent this year. Merriman said that it’s those types of plays that would 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 Oct. 26, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
“That is what determines if a guy is gonna make a team or not. I always tell guys, ‘The more you can do.’ If you can run down on special teams and make a play like that, I know guys who stayed around in the NFL for a very long time making plays like that and that’s what you need to do,” Merriman added.
While the Cowboys failed to gain any points after the play, Dallas was able to win the game 24-21.
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He’s appeared in six games for Dallas and has 15 tackles.
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