Sometimes there is nothing better than a bad example. Aspiring to the lofty standards of a worthy hero is often too much for mere mortals. But give us the cold gritty details of a life ruined by bad choices, and we’ll gladly remember what not to do.
Case in point, Maurice Clarett: who has mapped out for the sporting world his road less traveled by, from freshman football phenom to egocentric persona in just a few easy lessons.
The latest Clarett clunker was last weekend’s decision to skip the de rigueur workouts with other NFL aspirants. These sessions provide scouts and draft experts with tape and stopwatch proof of athletic prowess. Maurice chose to wait for the spotlight at center stage in April just prior to the NFL draft.
Good luck, young man, your hubris could have Olympian consequences.
Nevermind your questionable deportment at Ohio State. Forget your lies during a police investigation and your wrangled plea bargain. Let’s gloss over alienating future NFL employers with your lawsuit victory.
Has any freshman athlete in NCAA history displayed such a megalomaniac sense of personal entitlement? Every move you’ve made on and off the gridiron has screamed, “Me, me, me!” to anyone who will listen.
Attention you demand; attention you get. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to matter what kind. Apparently you make no distinction between notoriety and fame. Here’s a hint. Leprosy has notoriety; two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin has fame.
Come draft time, considering your red-flag notoriety, you could find NFL teams passing on you altogether. Perhaps even worse, some highly-ranked team rich in running backs might pick you so low you’ll sign for LeBron’s chump change plus a couple years warming a bench.
If only you’d chosen to follow in Archie’s footsteps.
Instead, expect to see a Sports Illustrated article next fall titled, “Maurice Who?” Then look for your legal legacy, the “Clarett Clause” in every future athletic scholarship. No NCAA school with any sense will want to sign a Clarett clone. Thanks Maurice, college football and young athletes everywhere will improve because of your bad example.
Fred A. Strine1971 OSU Alumnus
