NFL COMBINE Clarett misses workouts

The Youngstown native and Warren Harding High graduate said he's not in shape for the combine.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Maurice Clarett walked into a crowded room of reporters, took a deep breath and smiled.
Finally, he was on stage. He just didn't realize it was also the firing line.
After beating the NFL in court for a chance to enter the draft early, Clarett chose his next challenge -- changing the minds of disappointed scouts after announcing Thursday he was not prepared to work out at the league's scouting combine.
"It wasn't like I was getting ready to jump right into the league. That level is a whole different level. The intensity of the training has to increase," he said. "I'm going to take these next four weeks and get back to eating right and training right and try to take my training up a notch."
Personal workout set
The evaluators won't get a chance to see Clarett prove it until his personal workout in Columbus the first week of April.
Between now and then, Clarett has work to do.
He weighed in at 237 pounds, seven pounds heavier than he expected to play last year at Ohio State before being suspended. He acknowledged he wasn't in the best shape, and his answers only seemed to raise more questions about whether he was ready -- physically and mentally -- to play in the NFL.
Scouts even wondered why Clarett didn't arrive for the weeklong combine in better shape after missing an entire college season and then challenging the NFL's rule requiring underclassmen to complete three years of school before declaring for the draft.
Some evaluators disgusted
Some of the NFL's top evaluators were disgusted with Clarett's choice.
"That's a farce," Buffalo general manager Tom Donahoe said. "That was expected, but that's ridiculous."
Clarett, 20, said his mother advised him not to work out at the combine.
But no explanation seemed to satisfy the NFL's decision-makers. It even raised more red flags about an attitude that has been questioned before.
"I just want to see what he looks like," Detroit Lions president Matt Millen said. "We've got to do our homework and he's got to do his."
Clarett was grilled by reporters for about 15 minutes in a preview of what he was likely to face later Thursday night when teams begin interviewing players one-on-one. The NFL limits teams to 60 interviews, and Clarett said he expected to talk to all 32 teams.
He was asked repeatedly about his character, medical history, durability and whether he was prepared to jump to the NFL. Clarett even dodged a question about his agent, saying he hadn't yet made a decision even though he is believed to have chosen Jimmy Sexton.
But he promised to show a different side in the NFL.
"I think I'm going to keep my mouth shut at this level," he said.
Examined by doctors
While teams hope to start getting more answers soon, the bigger issues may require more thorough examination.
Doctors checked Clarett's left shoulder, which he hurt during his record-setting freshman season with the Buckeyes.
He also had knee surgery that year and wound up missing three games and parts of two others because of the injuries. Yet he still ran for a school freshman record with 1,237 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Clarett explained the injuries by saying he played hard and was working on his feet to avoid taking big hits.
As Clarett spoke, he smiled frequently as he tried to deflect the criticisms.
"I think you can trust me," he said. "When I sit down with the coaches and GMs, I think they'll have a good idea of where I'm coming from."
Now Clarett must find a place to fit in.
Donahoe thinks that could be difficult. He didn't mince words when asked to compare Clarett's uncertain future with that of Willis McGahee, who the Bills drafted in the first round last year despite a knee injury that kept him out of all 16 games last year.
"Let's not put Clarett in the same category as McGahee," Donahoe said. "That's not fair to Willis. Willis, attitude-wise and character-wise, that's a big difference."
It also indicates to Clarett what he must do to get another look.
"It's more training than I've been doing," he said. "I just want to put myself in the best possible position."