Seeing Ohio State win the 2002 NCAA College Football Championship and being from Ohio - I have almost an “automatic” loyalty and sense of biasness to the college. With that, it is very sad to see [1] Maurice Clarrett’s fall from grace.

Here is a guy that had tremendous talent but it all went wrong (real fast!). Through a mixture of arrogance, lack of maturity and a lot of unwise decisions … he ultimately went down the wrong path. This, from an athlete that was suppose to have a very bright future indeed. This so called “star” was filled with potential but it never really took off. With only one year of football under his belt, he is currently known for his now abundant troubles with the law instead of the accolades that earned him the title of “rising star”. Also, who could forget that wonderful touchdown he made for Ohio State. I painfully summarise his “tabloid” worthy events:

• Being banned for a year from College football for taking illegal “gifts”
• Suing the NFL for not letting him into the NFL draft (and losing)
• Choosing not continue his college education; which was very unwise
• Showing up overweight, unfit and slow at the NFL draft scouting camps (what was he thinking??)
• Suprisingly being drafted last year (by Denver)
• Cut by Denver in preseason (as expected)
• Now facing charges for drug and carrying a concealed weapon

[2] His current bail is set at $5 million with 5 year minimum jail sentense. It just beats me up to think of guys like that who have all the talent to make it big but just throw it all away. They just don’t realize that talent like that is a “one in a million gift”; not many people are “priviledged” enough to have it. There are thousands out there that would just kill to have a fraction of talent and the chance to make it in the NFL. Sad but true, a MAJOR case of wasted talent. ESPN does a good job of a documenting a [3] Maurice Clarrett Rise and Fall Timeline.

My advice to Clarrett: Don’t bask in past glory (it is long gone), pick yourself up, stop blaming other people, be a little humble and admit your mistakes, get a decent education, get a job and forget about the past. People make mistakes but it is up to the individual to carve his/her destiny. “The future is in your hands not everyone else around you”.