Clarke was born in Kingston, Jamaica, moved to Scarborough in the city of Toronto, Ontario, as a teenager, and attended West Hill Collegiate Institute for grades 10, 11, and 12.
He was an all-around athlete in school, playing varsity soccer, rugby, and track and field for West Hill.
He first played football in the twelfth grade, after a serious leg injury cost him a soccer United States college athletics scholarship.
In his only year of high school football, he made enough of an impact to earn United States NCAA Division II scholarship offers but opted to stay in Canada and play for the University of Ottawa.
[4] Clarke joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after his release from the RedBlacks.