Maurice Clarett's dad not surprised at results

He said his son's lawyers and advisers made some bad decisions.
& lt;a href=mailto:scalzo@vindy.com & gt;By JOE SCALZO & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- If you ask Myke Clarett, there was only one problem with his son's decision to take on the NFL.
"The NFL doesn't lose," he said. "They're going to defend their way of life and their way of doing business.
"The sad thing is, a year ago Maurice was the prince of the state. Now he's a tragic figure," Clarett said Friday.
Myke Clarett, a former standout at Mooney High, said he has not talked to his son in more than a year, but has been watching this week's events closely.
He said he was disappointed with Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld an earlier ruling barring his son from today's NFL draft.
But he was not surprised.
Selfishness abounds
"It was not unexpected," Clarett said. "His lawyers and his advisers have made a lot of decisions without his best interest at heart. They did it for selfish reasons.
"Have they done more harm than good? Yes, they have. And at the end of the day, who do you think is going to be hurt by this?"
Clarett said he felt his son should have gotten his academic and legal problems in order last summer and stayed at Ohio State University for the necessary three years.
"If he had gotten things straightened out, he could have just had a three-game suspension this year," Clarett said. "He could have won a Heisman Trophy and helped Ohio State contend for a national title.
"Now his options are diminishing quickly. He's a sneeze away from missing out on a promising football career. From what I hear, he can either play in the NAIA or go to the Canadian Football League or maybe the Arena League."
Clarett said he'd like to see the NFL set up a developmental league for athletes who don't want to go to college, but would like to ultimately play professional football.
Wishes the best
Missouri quarterback Brad Smith, who is expected to be a Heisman Trophy candidate this fall, said he has been watching this week's events unfold, but hasn't talked to Maurice Clarett.
"I don't know all the details," Smith, a former Chaney High standout, said. "I want what's best for Maurice and I hope everything works out for him."
Smith said he isn't in favor of allowing athletes to leave early for the NFL draft.
"You need that time to mature," Smith said. "It definitely helps athletes out."
No change needed
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel agreed.
"Football is just a different sport than baseball or basketball," Pinkel said. "I think the three-year rule is very good. You need to be able to take the physical contact, but you also need to be developed mentally to play in that arena.
"You see maybe 25-35 kids leave after their third year, and maybe 65 percent of those make it. If they let kids in early, those numbers will only get worse."
So what would Clarett like to see happen to his son?
"Well, I think he needs to take a step back and pray about his future and find some direction," Myke Clarett said. "Too many decisions have been made without his best interests taken into account."
& lt;a href=mailto:scalzok@vindy.com & gt;scalzo@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;