Ouachita Baptist University defensive lineman Clark Yarbrough dies after sudden collapse at age 21

Ouachita Baptist University senior defensive lineman Clark Yarbrough died on Sunday morning following a sudden collapse at the age of 21. The official cause of death is still unknown. 

“Today the Ouachita community mourns the loss of senior Clark Yarbrough, who died this morning following a sudden collapse,” the school wrote on social media. “Join us in praying for his family and friends. More information about campus gatherings following this tragedy will be released soon.”

Per the Magnolia Reporter, the Arkadelphia Fire Department was called into Yarbrough’s student dormitory around 7 a.m. on Sept. 4 because he was having a seizure and not breathing. Baptist Health Medical Center paramedics were already on scene when the fire department arrived. 

Yarbrough was a business administration/sport management major on track to graduate in the spring of 2023, although he still had two years of football eligibility remaining. He had just played in Ouachita’s season opener last Thursday, registering two tackles in his team’s 42-32 win over Oklahoma Baptist.

“Clark was that kind of young man, always thinking and preparing for what’s next,” head coach Todd Knight told Ouachita News Bureau. “He wanted to be an athletic director and was already making plans for internships and graduate school.”

The 6-foot-1, 280-pound defensive lineman registered 27 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry through the 2021 season. He wrapped up the year by becoming an All-Great American Conference honorable mention selection.