Sources: Maurice Clarett season may be over

[mavsfanforever]

ESPN.com news services

Sources told ESPN The Magazine's Gene Wojciechowski that sophomore running back Maurice Clarett has been told that he likely would not play this season.

The same sources told ESPN that Ohio State told the Clarett family that the running back would keep his scholarship. His status for next season, however, appears is still uncertain.

Sources said that the Clarett family is growing more and more exasperated with the process, particularly the handling of Clarett's status. This latest turn of events has caused the Clarett family to reassess its position and it now appears that they will considering other options, including transferring to another school or challenging the NFL's early entry rule.

Athletic director Andy Geiger said Tuesday night that he doubted Clarett would return to the defending national champions this season.

"I'm not optimistic about any number of games at this point," Geiger said.

Earlier Tuesday, coach Jim Tressel said Clarett would no longer practice with the team until questions about his eligibility are answered -- an abrupt reversal from 10 days earlier when he was allowed to work out with the second-ranked Buckeyes.

Tressel said Clarett would miss much of the season.

"It appears ... the suspension is going to be significant. It's going to be long," Tressel said.

On Aug. 22, Tressel and Geiger announced Clarett's suspension from the team. However, they said Clarett would be permitted to practice with the Buckeyes while the NCAA and an Ohio State panel looked into off-the-field problems and charges of academic fraud.

Clarett watched Saturday night's 28-9 victory over Washington from the bench.

Geiger said Clarett was suspended for multiple games because he misled investigators, a violation of NCAA Bylaw 10 that deals with ethical behavior by student-athletes.

"We put great stock, as does the NCAA, in forthrightness and straightforward answers to questions that are bathed in truth. We have yet to get there, which is distressing," Geiger said Tuesday.

Geiger also said Clarett violated NCAA's Bylaw 12, which deals with amateurism, "improper benefits and all those kind of things."

The NCAA and Ohio State began an investigation in July into Clarett's claim that more than $10,000 in clothing, CDs, cash and stereo equipment was stolen in April from a 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Clarett had borrowed from a local dealership. Clarett later said he exaggerated the value of the items stolen.

Geiger said if Clarett had told the truth from the beginning, "This might have been over in July."

Clarett's attorney, Scott Schiff, did not immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.

Ohio State officials are currently in the process of responding to several pages of NCAA allegations dealing with Clarett. Geiger said the response could come as early as Wednesday, although he was troubled because the investigation kept uncovering new problems.

Clarett set Ohio State freshman records by rushing for 1,237 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns last season as the Buckeyes went 14-0.

Tight end Ben Hartsock said Tressel and Ohio State officials had been very patient with Clarett during the investigation, but the time had come for the team to move forward.

"There's a point when being patient with an individual starts to be detrimental to the team," Hartsock said.

Tressel said he arrived at the decision to hold Clarett out of practice after meeting with his staff.

"The decision I talked about with some of our staff here just this morning was that until we get a definitive decision there I don't think I'm going to have him practice," Tressel said Tuesday.

Asked how Clarett reacted, Tressel said, "I'm sure he was disappointed because people want to be a part of the group. But that's what we're going to do right now."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[jayC]

I wonder if he will belly up and take the suspension since he will keep his scholarship even if he can't play, or will he challenge the nfl ruling. I heard some law professor on Outside the Lines say that the fact that clarett can't play in the nfl is a violation of antitrust laws.

[Murphy3]

good..he deserves to be out for the season

[Drbio]

Originally posted by: Murphy3
good..he deserves to be out for the season

I tend to agree...

[reeds]

I think there is much more to this than the public has been told..I am not sure what, but I just have this hunch that both parties have done their share of wrongdoing..time will tell...

Jim Brown calling Ohio St athletic director a "slave driver" was uncalled for though..i will say that..keep the race card out of it...

[Dooby]

My only objection is that Ohio State officials clearly had some involvement in this mess, at least the oral exam fiasco that led to Maurice Clarett's eligibility to play in the national championship. It apears to me that Ohio State is throwing Clarett under the bus in a draconian fashion in an effort to cover its own ass. Ohio State must be held accountable for its actions. Denying itself of Maurice Clarett's talents for a year is simply not enough.

The NCAA should not condone a practice that allows a university to violate NCAA rules and redeem itself solely by punishing the student athlete. Such a practice places all of the responsibilty for rule compliance on the student athlete while punishing only one of potentially several culpable parties, including those whose job it is to educate the student athlete about those rules and those who encourage or demand a student athlete violate NCAA rules for personal benefit.

[Murphy3]

i expect ohio state to be punished by the NCAA.

however, i have no issue with MoClarett's suspension at all...if anything, it wasn't enough

[Evilmav2]

I hope he sues the NFL to end age discrimination in the draft.

If you are good enough to play, you should be good enough to be drafted, and I think it is high time that good college football players should be able to test the waters of the NFL draft regardless of how many years they have played college ball. Most players need 3-4 years in college to develop the physical strength and skills to survive in the league, but a prodigy like Clarett is an exception.

If a 14 year old can be given a professional contract to play tennis, and an 18 year old can be drafted #1 in the NBA draft, I think a freshman starting running back on a national championship squad should have the chance to try to succeed at the next level of his sport and guarantee himself and his family financial security. If we have to watch a player like Clarett either dance through a charade of attending Ohio State for the next two years, sit out, or set back his career a year by transferring, I say that will be an indictment of the NFL's outdated drafting rules...

[dirno2000]

He probably deserves to be suspended, and Ohio State placed on some type of disciplinary action, but I was hoping he would be allowed to play for the greater good of the game. If he sues the NFL and wins, college football will never be the same. It may not be fair to the student athlete, but I could care less. As a fan, I like seeing the same schools dominate year in and year out. I like the fact that when a kid is drafted, I know who he is because I have followed him for at least three years. Most importantly I like the level of play in college football. I grew up a huge college basketball fan, and I still watch it more than most, but the level of play has dropped so much that it's hard to watch sometimes.

I still find it hard to believe that he will challenge the NFL and win. There are too many people making too much money from college football. Plus the NFL will fight to the death to protect is feeder system. Weather it's somebody getting in his ear and changing his mind, or a judge who is a college football fan making it hard on him, I don't think it will happen.