Thomas Clardy’s Life
A father, a mentor, a friend… and innocent. After 17 years in prison and his conviction overturned by a federal judge, Thomas may be forced to return to prison a second time for a crime he did not commit.
Growing up in North Nashville, Thomas Clardy was a fun-loving, young boy who liked to spend every moment tossing a football in the street. By high school he’d grow into a star running back for Pearl-Cohn Firebirds, helping clinch the 1997 state championship. Coaches still talk about “#22”—not just for his break-away speed, but because he always doubled back to lift a fallen teammate off the turf.
Now as a man, Thomas loves fishing and just being outdoors, not surprising for someone who spent 17 years behind bars. Thomas is a father, a mentor, a friend, and most importantly… an innocent man.
Who is Thomas Clardy?
“I never wanted Jamari visiting me in prison—it was too painful for everyone. ”
Thomas has two sons. Thomas, Jr. now 18 years old, was just weeks old when police arrested his father. Jamari, now 25 years old, remembers prison phone calls instead of bedtime stories.
During the 17 years of Thomas’ incarceration, birthdays were marked by scratchy phone calls, the life Thomas and his family should have shared was lost, and time marched relentlessly forward. Thomas spent 17 years maintaining his innocence. Freedom—or so he thought—came in 2023 when a federal judge overturned and vacated Thomas' conviction. In the time since his release, Thomas has been trying to rebuild his family and replace the time that the legal system has erased. Robbed of Sunday picnics at Centennial Park, pickup football in the cul-de-sac, and homework spread across the kitchen table, Thomas spent his 19 months of freedom trying to find every lost moment while building brand new memories.
A Father’s Time Stolen
On Sundays, you will find Thomas seated in the second row at Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church. “The Lord has plans for me,” Thomas says, “and none of them involve bitterness.” He now joins the church’s early-morning prayer circle and volunteers at food-bank drives.
A ‘Free’ Man
“From the moment he re-entered the community, Thomas became a guiding presence for our students… he wants to coach not for glory, but to steer kids away from mistakes.”
Whether mentoring eighth-graders, mowing an elderly neighbor’s lawn, or dragging garbage cans to the curb while families travel, Thomas shows up for his community. As one neighbor would say, “Thomas makes the neighborhood feel warm, welcoming, and safe. We can’t imagine it without him.”
Finding employment after incarceration is not easy. It is not any easier even for those who have been wrongfully incarcerated. That said, Thomas’s goal after his release was to back to work and try to live a ‘normal’ life. He did just that. Thomas has been a full-time employee since the day of his release, and he currently works for Glenn Enterprises. A diligent and affable member of the team, Thomas takes pride in the value of a hard-worked day.
This is Thomas' life. Thomas is a father, a mentor, and a hard-working, productive member of society who spent almost two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit. That life could be taken from him a second time. We cannot allow this to happen.