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Maurice Edward Clarett (born October 29, 1983 in Youngstown, Ohio) is a former American college football player. Clarett attended the same preschool as Ken Dorsey (quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes), whom he would later run into in the 2002 national championship game.
Personal Maurice Clarett is the son of Myke Clarett Sr. Clarett who was a Defensive Tackle for the University of Buffalo and another older brother, Michael Graham Clarett Jr. Clarett also has a cousin Vince Charles Marrow who played as a tight end in the NFL, XFL and NFL Europe; Football career College After displaying his abilities as a punishing freshman tailback on the Austintown-Fitch High School Varsity team, Clarett transferred to Warren G. Clarett received an offer from Ohio State University and verbally committed to Ohio State over offers from Notre Dame, Fresno State and Miami (FL) before signing with the Buckeyes in February 2002. Later, Clarett received the USA Today Offensive High School Player of the Year and Parade All-American distinctions. Clarett starred at Ohio State for one season, rushing for 1,237 yards (a school record for a freshman) and scoring 18 touchdowns, which helped the Buckeyes to a 14-0 record and the 2002 BCS National Championship. Career rushing statistics at Ohio State
Dismissal from Ohio State Clarett's time at Ohio State University was marked by several troubling incidents. In July 2003, Clarett became the center of an academic scandal when a teaching assistant told the New York Times that Clarett had received preferential treatment from a professor; Ohio State later suspended Clarett for the 2003 athletic year after he was charged with filing a false police report. Athletic Director Andy Geiger stated that Clarett also took thousands of dollars in special benefits and repeatedly misled investigators. Clarett moved to Los Angeles after his dismissal from Ohio State, and, while living there, sued to be included in the 2004 NFL Draft. Subsequently, Clarett worked with trainers in preparation for the 2005 NFL Combine, hoping to impress for the upcoming draft. National Football League In his attempt to enter the 2004 NFL Draft, Clarett challenged the NFL's rule that a player must wait three years after graduating from High School to declare for the draft. Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin initially ruled that the NFL could not bar Clarett from participating in the 2004 NFL Draft. This decision was later overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in an opinion by Judge Sonia Sotomayor, and Clarett's petition for certiorari was refused by the Supreme Court. Clarett and USC wide receiver Mike Williams, who were both hoping to enter the draft early, were then barred from the draft by the NFL. Later, because they both signed agents before being denied the opportunity to join the NFL Draft, the NCAA refused to reinstate the college eligibility of Clarett or Williams. Draft day surprise In a widely unexpected move, Clarett was drafted on the first day of the 2005 NFL Draft with the final pick of the 3rd round (#101 overall) by the Denver Broncos. However, after further disappointments and incidents with his coaches and never playing a preseason game, Clarett was released on waivers on August 28, 2005, only a month after signing his contract and before playing even a single down in the NFL. Post-NFL troubles As his college and NFL careers tanked, The Miami Herald reported in September that Clarett was already $1 million in debt from legal fees for his fight with the NFL and other costs. They also reported that Clarett turned down the traditional signing bonus in the originally proposed contract from Denver because Kenner wanted incentives that would pay Clarett if he became a star. Exploring alternatives to the NFL According to the Wheeling News-Register, Clarett was in talks to play for the Steubenville Stampede, a squad in the North Division of the American Indoor Football League. In an interview with the Columbus Dispatch published on August 10, 2006, Terry claimed that Clarett attempted to call him just minutes before the events on the morning of August 9 that led to Clarett's arrest. Clarett also expressed interest in playing for NFL Europe. Josh Luchs, Clarett's agent, reported that Clarett was going to sign with the NFL on January 2, 2006, and was expected to be allocated to NFL Europe. There were also discussions about Clarett playing for the semi-pro Eastern Indoor Football League team the Mahoning Valley Hitmen, coached by the same Jim Terry. Arrests and convictions
Robbery conviction On January 1, 2006, police announced that they were searching for Clarett in relation to two incidents of armed robbery that took place at 1:46am outside the Opium Lounge danceclub in Columbus. Clarett turned himself in to police shortly after 9 p.m., EST, on January 2, just as the Buckeyes were defeating Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, the very bowl game in which Clarett last played college football. On February 10, 2006, Clarett was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury on two counts of aggravated robbery with gun specifications and five other counts. At a status hearing held on August 9, 2006 pertaining to the January charges, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Fais increased Clarett's bond to $1.1 million. At the hearing, Fais delayed the trial until September 18, 2006, revoked the $1.1 million bond in the case and ordered Clarett to undergo a mental health evaluation. August 2006 arrest In the early morning hours of August 9, 2006, Clarett was arrested in Columbus after he made an illegal U-turn and led the police on a chase in a sports utility vehicle reportedly belonging to his uncle. Police said they were forced to secure a cloth around Clarett's mouth after he allegedly spit at the officers and called them "niggers" during the arrest. Clarett was arraigned on the latest charges on August 10, 2006 in Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus. Clarett remained lodged in the Franklin County Corrections Center, however, as the $1.1 million bond for the robbery charge was revoked by trial judge David Fais. According to a Columbus Dispatch report, Clarett, who was due to be tried for his January arrest, was in the neighborhood of one of the principal witnesses against him at the time the events of August 9 occurred. On September 18, Clarett filed a guilty plea to the charges in a plea bargain that involved these events as well as the earlier robbery charges. Blog As of October 2008, Clarett has been blogging about his life in prison on The Mind of Maurice Clarett; (June 2009)
This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. Clarett | Maurice Clarett | Mel Tucker
Darrent Williams Karl Paymah Domonique Foxworth Maurice Clarett Chris Myers Paul Ernster