The Sad Story of Maurice Clarett

Maurice Clarett is in the news again, this time for being arrested after being found with ammunition more appropriate for a German soldier than a washed-up former NCAA running back.

In a poll on ESPN.com's Daily Quickie, the majority of people said that they didn't care about Clarett's story (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/quickie).

I wouldn't normally, especially since I grew up a Michigan fan and lost a bet after Miami lost to OSU in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. Damn you, Clarett.

But I care about this.

Clarett is hardly the first athlete to fall from grace. Why, just in the past couple weeks, Floyd Landis fell out of the entire world's favor. Different reason than Clarett though, but a similar sad story.

What makes Clarett's story so sad (and if it weren't for his constant stupidity, he might even be sympathetic too) is that his upcoming long-term jail time might, MIGHT have been avoided if he had just...stayed...in...college.

If Clarett had just stopped, told himself, "Hey, I'm at the top of the world here in Columbus. I'm a god to these people. Why don't I just hang around for a couple years and let my legend grow, along with my Heismans," things would be different. We'd be talking about "Maurice Clarett: Upcoming NFL Running Back Superstar" instead of, "Maurice Clarett: Prisoner # 250391."

Instead, he chose to challenge the NFL's rules, his coach's opinion, and plain common sense. Clarett thought he knew better. He sat out a year, then fought a court battle that everyone thought, maybe knew, would be a loser, got drafted in what, the 3rd round by the Denver Broncos? Then he got cut.

Then he decided to rob a Columbus couple, threaten police officers, and pack himself with ammunition, "Out of fear for his daughter's life."

Congratulations, Maurice. You're now a bottom-feeder in society and a poll on a reputable sports website agrees. It took you just less than three years to fall from "king" to "miserable peasant."

And you could have avoided all of it had you just...stayed...in...college.

Why do people have no sympathy for Maurice Clarett? He had it all! He had fame, glory, a championship, and savior status. Some athletes play their entire lives and never get that. Clarett had it and could have had more. For some reason though, he didn't know how to get the "more." He thought it came through challenging the rules and being bombastic. Boy was he wrong. He threw it all away. No ordinary person should be expected to understand this.

And none of it would have been an issue if he had just...stayed...in...college.

Maybe Clarett had the wrong people whispering in his ear. No, there's no maybe in that. He obviously had the wrong people whispering in his ear. They probably told him exactly what he played out: "You have it all now, but I can get you more." So Maurice listened. Realistically, all of us in society probably would listen if someone came up to us and said "You think you have it all? You don't, but I can get it for you." Sure, we'd listen. Most of us would at least be skeptical though. Not Maurice. He listened and followed it through to its bitter, tragic end. Challenge the well-established NFL! Go to court and win! Get more money, more fame, more power!

But he could have had that if he had just...stayed...in...college.

And now his life is essentially over. Maybe he could get hooked up later with some OSU collectors who want to pay him for signing footballs and baseball caps. That would bring him some money to support his new baby daughter (the real loser in all of this). Maybe he could ask one of those boosters who was likely so kind to him in the past if he could have a job with one of them. Maybe one of them would be willing to put his reputation on the line by taking a chance on Maurice. Maybe, but not right now.

Now, he goes to jail. If Maurice Clarett's life isn't at rock bottom, it probably will be soon, if he continues down this path he's on, a path he probably wouldn't be on if he had just...stayed...in...college.

Clarett couldn't see the big picture. He couldn't see that he had everything he needed in Columbus and that that could be enough. Maybe no one told him that. It doesn't matter, as he couldn't even see that for himself after a couple years. In this regard, Maurice Clarett is a truly blind man. Hopefully jail will give him some much-needed perspective.

And while he's in there, he can ponder (if he hasn't already) how things might have been differently had he just...stayed...in...college.

Just for a couple more years.

Beats a couple years in jail, which is where Clarett might end up now.