Court turns down Clarett appeal
COLUMBUS (AP) -- A federal appeals court has turned down running back Maurice Clarett's request to rehear his lawsuit challenging the NFL's eligibility rule for the draft.
The former Ohio State player's only legal option left is to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Clarett and his lawyers were told Thursday that the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City denied his petition for all 11 judges to hear the case.
A three-judge panel from the court said in May that federal labor policy allows NFL teams to set rules for when players can enter the league, stopping Clarett from entering the NFL draft.
A telephone message seeking comment was left today for Clarett's lawyer, Alan Milstein.
A lower court judge in February ruled Clarett eligible for the draft. It said the NFL violated federal antitrust laws by blocking Clarett's entry into his profession with a rule barring eligibility until a player was three years out of high school.
Clarett was only two years out of high school at the time. He'll be eligible for the draft in April no matter what happens in court.
Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman in 2002, leading the Buckeyes to the national championship. He was suspended before the 2003 season for accepting money from a family friend and lying about it to NCAA and Ohio State investigators.