Rocky Clark laid to rest near Chicago

Rocky Clark laid to rest near Chicago

Published Jan. 14, 2012 12:00 a.m. ET

A 27-year-old who was paralyzed while playing football for Blue Island's Eisenhower High School in 2000 was laid to rest Saturday near Chicago after he died Jan. 5 from complications of his injury.

After his accident, Rasul "Rocky" Clark fought an unsuccessful battle to keep his health insurance which garnered both national and international attention, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Hundreds of people attended the funeral service at New Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in in Robbins, Ill., which had been scheduled to last an hour but continued for more than two because so many people wanted to speak.

Clark helped found the Gridiron Alliance, which supported athletes in a similar position, and also lectured at local high schools.

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In an interview this week with FOXSports.com, Annette Clark — Rocky's mother — said she wanted to bury him in his No. 21 football jersey. She described how she cared for him following his accident and detailed his battles.

"He was a caring, loving boy, and he didn't feel sorry for himself," she said. "He was a clown. If you talked to him, he had you cracking up laughing."

Read more here.

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