GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Christmas decorations are going up in House Clark and just know that the Green Bay Packers’ hulking defensive tackle goes hard for the holidays. This family is getting into the spirit… and then some.

Head downstairs, into the man cave, and you’ll see massive action shots of Kenny Clark in the trenches.

One features Clark nose up on the ball, staring through the soul of a Carolina Panthers center. There are two game balls atop a fireplace mantle — one from a 10-3 win over the Bears in 2019, another from a 38-20 win over the Bears in 2023. That second ball holds a special place in his heart.

In a back corner are Normatec compression leg sleeves. He’s always seeking an edge. After all, those collisions at the line of scrimmage take a physical toll on a 6-foot-3, 314-pound man.

And in comfy sweatpants, the Packers’ grizzled nine-year stalwart in the middle takes a seat on a plush sectional sofa to chat again with Go Long.

Readers may remember our profile from the 2021 season. That’s when Clark opened up about his incarcerated father. Kenny Jr. was only 9 years old when Kenny Sr. was locked up for a murder he insisted he did not commit. (“My Dad did nothing wrong,” son said then.) Clark truly had no idea if his Dad would ever get to see him play — he was sentenced to a minimum of 55 years. To his shock, that moment finally arrived in Week 1 of the ‘23 season at Chicago. It was an emotional afternoon for Kenny Jr., for his mother, for everyone. After more appeals, court proceedings and heartache than he could ever recall, Kenny Clark finally has his father back.

Life is good.

His daughter, Kenaii, is growing fast and he’s got another baby girl on the way.

He inked a three-year, $64 million extension last July.

As for this year’s team? Clark hasn’t felt this hopeful in a long time. The three-time Pro Bowler who’s been on this team since 2016 has suffered plenty of crushing postseason over the years. Now, he’s the elder statesman on the youngest team in the league.

It only made sense to catch up with Clark on our recent reporting trip to Wisconsin.

Audio of our conversation is above for our latest edition of “How the NFL Works,” and the written transcript is here:

Right here is how one of the best of the best on the defensive line balances life and football in the heat of a playoff run.

Full episodes, as always, are available to Go Long subscribers.

Bring in that Christmas cheer!

Previous episodes of “How the NFL Works:”

* S1 E4: 'Get a Quarterback' with Super Bowl champ and ex-NFL exec Jim Monos

* S1 E3: Resurrecting a Franchise with Ron Wolf

* S1 E2: Life After Football with Ryan Leaf

* S1 E1: Building the 2024 Quarterback with Quincy Avery

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