How Many Shots do You Get for Having Potential?
The NFL is classic for giving unproven players a shot. They pay rookies incredible amounts of cash even before they have played a single down. They also like the comeback story.
Former Ohio State star Maurice Clarett isn't one of those comeback stories just yet. What he is, however, is a player who signed a one-year contract with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.
According to ESPN, Clarett was expected to be on the practice field Monday night for his first football activity since he was a bust with the Denver Broncos. And oh, don't forget the 3½ years he spent in prison for having a hidden gun and holding up two people outside a Columbus, Ohio, bar, in 2006.
When Clarett was a freshman at Ohio State in 2002, he rushed for 1,237 yards and 18 touchdowns, winning a national title against Miami.
Then, in the 2003 season, he was bagged for taking gifts and lying to the NCAA. He later lost a court case challenging the NFL's rule requiring a player to be out of high school three years before becoming eligible for the draft.
Long story short, Clarett was a bust even before he got into the NFL. However, this little trip through the UFL might help get him back to the NFL, just as long as he keeps his head screwed on straight. And, if that works out, it will make for a great story.
However, how many times do we have to read that book before we know what the ending is?
Photo Credit: ESPN
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