He was awarded the Stack Tibitts Trophy as the Roughriders most valuable Canadian in 1959 and 1961 and was named to the Western Football Conference's All-Star team as a defensive tackle in 1961 and 1963. The 1963 Riders defence was notable for playing five games without yielding a touchdown.

Clarke's longtime dedication to the club was honoured with a life membership in 1963 and he was inducted into the Roughriders' Plaza of Honour in 1988. He retired from play following the 1964 CFL season.

After retiring from football in 1964, Clarke took up a second career as a public servant. He served as an Executive Director of Sport and Recreation for the Province of Saskatchewan beginning in 1966, and also served as the Deputy Minister of the Department of Culture, Youth and Recreation from 1982 to 1987. He also became an advocate for the Special Olympics and the United Way, and helped organize charity curling and golfing events to raise money for Parkinson's Disease research.

For his achievements in sports he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 1979, the Roughriders' Plaza of Honour in 1988, and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1996. His other awards include an honourary Doctorate of Law from the University of Regina in 1995, and the Bill Clarke Scholarship which was created in his memory after his death. He died from complications of Parkinson's Disease.

Burial: Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery – Block 94, Plot 0, Lot 86