Frank DeClerk

Francis P. DeClerk (September 14, 1900 – June 5, 1929) was an American football player. He played three years in the National Football League with the Rock Island Independents from 1923 to 1925.

Early life Born in Nebraska, he moved with his family to Moline, Illinois, when he was three years old. He attended Moline High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17 and served on a transport ship during World War I. After the war, he attended St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, where he played baseball, basketball, and football. In 1923, he became the center for the Rock Island Independents of the National Football League (NFL). He played three years for Rock Island, appearing in 20 NFL games, seven as a starter, from 1923 to 1925. He continued playing professional football in 1927 for the Kewanee Tornadoes and in 1928 for the Galva Independents. He was buried at St. Mary's cemetery in East Moline.