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Maurice Clarett has been through a turbulent ride in the past eight years. He helped the OSU Buckeyes with an unbeaten 2002 championship season, but then was sentenced to prison in 2006 on armed robbery charges, which also included a tabloid-like story involving his arrest in August 2006 where his vehicle was found containing a katana sword, a loaded AK-47, a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka, and Clarett himself was wearing a kevlar vest.
But Maurice probably wants everyone to forget about that stuff as he heads back to school this summer at OSU.
“Maurice Clarett has been granted reentry into The Ohio State University, following a review by the College of Education and Human Ecology, where he was originally enrolled,” said Jim Lynch, Director of Media Relations in a statement issued earlier today. “Maurice resumed his academic career on July 26 for the start of the second half of the university’s summer quarter.”
“This is a surreal feeling to be back at Ohio State in such a supportive environment,” said Maurice Clarett in a statement. “I have looked forward to being back in school and I’m doing my best to fit in with other students. I don’t want to be a distraction or nuisance to the football team or to students on campus.”
Maurice maintained a personal blog during a portion of his three and a half year prison sentence at mauriceclarett.wordpress.com/. It hasn’t been updated since August 2009, but perhaps we’ll see some new posts as he heads back to school.
Good for him, really.
Yeah, when the email containing the statement first hit my inbox I assumed “back at OSU” meant he was playing football, and I rolled my eyes.
But he’s actually headed back for classes… so I hope it’s productive for him.
This has the potential to be one of the best redemption stories…
He is not eligible to play football at the collegiate level because of his brief stint with the Denver Broncos in the NFL. He is reenrolling at OSU for classes. I think it’s great that Ohio State welcomes him back after all of the drama that happened while he was here. I think the OSU football family, even though he’s not playing, will mentor him and will provide some stability for him to get his life back on track.
in all honesty, it takes some huge balls and humility for him to return to school at OSU; i really do hope it ends up being an awesome redemption story.
He deserved to finish his study while playing, I know he can do that at the same time so Congrats in advance Mauricce.. If you have a time to take a vacation, just check out also the low-priced promo package of http://www.denphiltravelandtours.com
I’m not sure if Maurice is allowed to leave the county.
This is a good story. Everyone desreves second chances.
I hope the best for him.
It seems brave of OSU to take a chance on someone that has been one of their highest profile embarrassments.
I hope he’s able to surround himself with the right people, and focus on who he wants to be TODAY instead of who he was, or who he thought he could be, 7 years ago.
Yes, this is certainly good for him. This is not really his second chance – he’s got many and screwed them all up. OSU can spin this into a very positive story, but will keep him under a microscope. All in all, it will benefit both parties.
I will keep you informed if I run into him in my building here at OSU.
Good for Mo! It is really humbling to go back to school as an adult anyways, especially as a former ultra-high profile athlete that blew it or an ex-con, let alone both. Best of luck and here’s hoping people let him go about his business and respect that his past is past…
Wow. I’m for the reformation of any convict/ex-convict, but after everything that transpired over MC’s tenure at OSU, I think he and OSU really need to break-up and move on: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1919059
From the Dispatch…
Clarett among hundreds of felons admitted to Ohio schools
By Encarnacion Pyle
Former Buckeyes running back Maurice Clarett’s return to classes this week is generating a lot of buzz, but he’s hardly the only person with a criminal record attending a central Ohio college.
Ohio State University estimates that 30 to 45 people with felony convictions or suspensions from another college apply to the Columbus campus each year as freshmen or transfer students.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/29/colleges-weigh-student-crimes.html?sid=101
Brings a tear, actually. I hereby correct all my Columbus motto jokes, and suggest this one:
“Columbus – Second Chance City.”
Because in Columbus, we’re not so cut-throat to ostracize people based on a single mistake; but also because I think Columbus is the kind of city you have to give a second chance. It’s not perfect, but it is redemptive.