No. 20, 13 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Position: | Running back | ||
Personal information | |||
Date of birth: | October 29, 1983 | ||
Place of birth: | Youngstown, Ohio | ||
Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||
Career information | |||
High school: | Warren (OH) Harding | ||
College: | Ohio State | ||
NFL Draft: | 2005 / Round: 3 / Pick: 101 | ||
Career history | |||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||
Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Career NFL statistics | |||
|
Player stats at NFL.com |
Maurice Edward Clarett (born October 29, 1983) is a former American football running back who played for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. He also played professionally for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. During his freshman year at Ohio State University in 2002, he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship. 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. He is well known for unsuccessfully challenging the NFL's draft eligibility rules requiring a player to be three years removed from high school and for his tumultuous life outside of football, including his dismissal from Ohio State, several arrests, and imprisonment. Since his release, he has begun work on an entrepreneurial career, along with being a public speaker.
Clarett is the son of Myke Clarett Sr. and Michelle Renee Clarett (now divorced). His father once worked as a Regional Representative for the Secretary of State in Ohio. His mother worked as a senior administrator for the Youngstown City Clerk of Court. He has an older brother, Marcus, who was a defensive tackle for the University at Buffalo and another older brother, Michael Graham Clarett Jr.
Clarett has a daughter, born July 16, 2006, with girlfriend Ashley Evans.
After displaying his abilities as a punishing freshman tailback on the Austintown-Fitch High School varsity team, Clarett transferred to Warren G. Harding High School to continue his scholastic career and garnered national attention. When he graduated from Harding, many national publications ranked him among the top 100 players nationally. He was a 2002 U.S. Army All-American. Clarett received an offer from Ohio State University and verbally committed to Ohio State over offers from Notre Dame, Fresno State, and the University of Miami. He formally committed to the Buckeyes in February 2002. Ohio State's coach, Jim Tressel, had previously been coach of Clarett's hometown Youngstown State Penguins. Later, Clarett received the USA Today Offensive High School Player of the Year and Parade All-American distinctions.