Maurice Clarett's life has been full of hardship and suffering, but it has also been full of reflection and redemption.
On Saturday, almost nine years after ESPN Films produced and released the 30 for 30 “Youngstown Boys” that detailed Clarett's struggles, the former Ohio State running back will be profiled on College GameDay in a feature called "No Days Wasted" that will explain how he overcame them.
I followed up with @espn and @collegegameday after 10yrs with the @30for30 I filmed with them. Grateful and Thankful to sit with Gene Wojciechowski and catch up. pic.twitter.com/gLMDyfTuIz
— Maurice Clarett (@ReeseClarett13) November 25, 2022
Clarett was a standout freshman for the Buckeyes in the 2002 national championship season, rushing for 1,237 yards and 16 touchdowns on 222 carries while adding 12 catches for 104 yards and two scores through the air. His 18 total touchdowns were a program record for a freshman until TreVeyon Henderson scored 19 times for Ohio State last season.
After repeated off-field incidents, however, Clarett was suspended for the 2003 season and later dismissed from the school. After his dismissal, he moved to Los Angeles and trained to prepare for the NFL draft, where the Denver Broncos selected him 101st overall in the third round. An unimpressive training camp led to his release from the team before the season began.
With his college and NFL careers over, Clarett's life took a dark turn. He was arrested twice, eventually sent to prison and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison, with the possibility of applying for early release after three and a half years. Clarett was placed in the Toledo Correctional Institution, where he could eat and exercise with other inmates.
As it turned out, time in solitude was all Clarett needed to turn his life around. While in prison, Clarett wrote about his life in a blog called The Mind of Maurice Clarett. Because he had no internet access, he would send handwritten letters to his girlfriend, who posted them for him.
In one post, Clarett wrote, “Understand my struggle so you can respect my hustle. I am never coming back here, believe that. Never, I am cool on this. It is first-class living from the day I get out. I WILL NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS, EVER AGAIN. That goes for communication, personal relationships, housing, education, friendships, and travel arrangements. Everything. I have the fire in my eyes.”
Clarett has made sure his vow to never settle for less became true. Since his release, he has started a behavioral health agency in Youngstown, Ohio, called The Red Zone, which provides mental health services, addiction and recovery services and school-based social work, among others. He also began speaking in public forums about his life experience and the need for criminal justice reform. In 2022, Clarett was appointed as a member of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce.
It's been a long road, but Clarett has spent the last few years changing the trajectory of his life. Check out Clarett's feature with Gene Wojciechowski on GameDay this Saturday to hear more about how the former Buckeye running back is continuing to make it happen.
