Ryan Clark walked into the Redskins Park media room and his eyes opened wide. He was genuinely surprised to see a host of reporters waiting for him.

The night before, on Nov. 6, 2005, Clark was one of the defensive stars in a 17-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField.

With 1:25 left in the game, Clark had intercepted a Donovan McNabb pass at the Redskins’ 3-yard line, sealing the win.

Clark would go on to finish the 2005 season with 72 tackles and a three interceptions. He added 14 more tackles in two postseason contests.

The following offseason, Clark departed the Redskins and signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Three years later, Clark is preparing to play on football’s biggest stage as the Steelers take on the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII this Sunday in Tampa.

In his time in Washington, Clark was always upbeat and even a little charming when it came to talking to media.

He faced his biggest media throng yet on Tuesday. It was Media Day at the Super Bowl.

And Clark was his usual playful self, at one point hugging NFL Network’s Deion Sanders.

In looking back at Clark’s short time in Washington, his story is worth reflection.

Sometimes it takes a long and winding road to reach the pinnacle.

Clark, a 5-11, 205-pound safety, had spent his first two NFL seasons with the New York Giants, but was released following the 2003 season.

He was working in the academic administration offices at LSU, his alma mater, when the Redskins contacted him right before training camp.

Clark earned a roster spot coming out of preseason, even though media outlets mistakenly included him among the Redskins’ final roster cuts.

When Matt Bowen, the starting strong safety, was sidelined with a knee injury midway through the 2004 season, Clark stepped in and solidified the position.

He showed early on that he was a sound tackler.

In a game against Baltimore at FedExField, Clark found himself in the gap staring at hard-charging running back Jamal Lewis, who outweighed him by 50 pounds.

Clark made the tackle, though.

“It seemed to fire up our defense,” Clark said after that game. “When a big player like LaVar Arrington or Marcus Washington makes a play for us, that’s one thing. But when somebody like me makes a good tackle, it gives everybody a lift.”

In two seasons in Washington, Clark forged a close bond with the late Sean Taylor. He was a calming influence as Taylor adjusted to the NFL.

A free agent following the 2005 season, Clark wanted to stay with the Redskins, but the team decided to go in another direction.

Last year, Clark played a key role on the Steelers’ top-ranked defense. He started 14 games and posted 87 tackles and one interception.

He has started to make a name for himself as a big hitter.

In a game against the New England Patriots, Clark leveled wide receiver Wes Welker on a pass across the middle.

Then, in the AFC Championship game, Clark delivered another punishing hit on running back Willis McGahee on another pass across the middle.

Clark was slow to get up after the hit and sat out the rest of the game. McGahee had to be carted off the field with a neck injury.

Clark led with his right shoulder, which he dislocated twice earlier in the season. It may have been necessary, because McGahee weighs 30 pounds more than Clark.

Last week, Steelers linebacker Larry Foote said: “Hands down, Ryan Clark is the hardest-hitting safety in the NFL.”

When Clark played for the Redskins, then assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams praised Clark for playing “full throttle.”

In remarks last week, it’s evident that Clark still plays with that mentality.

“My whole thing is getting to the ball as fast as I can to make a play,” Clark told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Most times, as soon as I see a quarterback looking at a guy, I’m full speed. Once you decide to go, you go. You can’t pull back. Then once you get there, it’s him or you.”

Perhaps it’s something that Clark learned from Taylor.

Taylor, of course, was one of the hardest hitting defensive backs to ever play the game.

Clark pays tribute to Taylor every chance he gets. He reportedly wears a No. 21 practice jersey in honor of Taylor and in a game earlier this season he wore eye black with “21” on it. That drew a $5,000 fine from the NFL, incidentally.

Clark remains popular among Redskins fans for his tributes to Taylor.

Redskins defensive backs coach Steve Jackson once commented that Clark’s best attribute was that he "stayed humble."

That’s why it remains easy to root for Clark, at least in these parts.