"Dallas Clark is in position to one-up the man who helped revolutionize the tight end position, appropriately enough in the city where John Mackey became a Hall of Famer and remains a legend.

With one reception Sunday afternoon in Baltimore, the Indianapolis Colts' veteran breaks Mackey's franchise record for career receptions by a tight end. Don't think for a second, though, that Clark envisions himself surpassing Mackey.

No way, not ever.

"No, no, that'll never, never, never end up like that,'' Clark said Wednesday. "He's the man.

"Any time that I've ever been (mentioned) in the same sentence with him, that's just a great honor. For what he did for Baltimore . . . what he did for the position in general was tremendous. He was special."

Mackey was a second-round draft pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1963. He was 6-2, 224 pounds. He was a fierce blocker but set himself apart from other tight ends with his ability to catch, run and punish defenses.

"It was him and (Kellen) Winslow Sr., back in their days," Clark said of the position-changing tight ends. "They made people look at different things a tight end could do. It used to be they just blocked or maybe were an extra lineman.

"For them to change the position and change the way teams used them . . . that's the reason I have a job, I guess.""