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Clarett comes home to deliver message
By Joe Gorman
NILES
Maurice Clarett says he has been all over the country advising groups on how to stay free of the trouble that gripped him after a nearly mythical season as a running back at Ohio State.
Friday, he came home to deliver his message as the featured speaker at the 84th annual dinner of the Greater Warren-Youngstown Urban League at McMenamy’s Banquet Center.
Clarett said he has been across the U.S. speaking to people, mostly youths, to tell them the importance of making the right choices and associating with good people, especially mentors and leaders.
“I enjoy going around and doing it,” Clarett said.
Clarett, a native of Youngstown, was a star as a running back for Warren G. Harding High School in Warren. He continued his career at Ohio State, where as a freshman he rushed for more than 1,000 yards and helped lead the Buckeyes to an undefeated season and the national championship in January 2003.
But he never played for Ohio State again. After a series of off-the-field issues, he spent nearly four years in prison on a robbery charge. Since his release in the summer of 2010, he has spoken to different groups, telling his story of how he rose and fell so people can avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Clarett said one point he wants to emphasize is that youths need to be aware of not only their surroundings, but also of the people with whom they associate. He said far too often people go through stages of their life and are not aware of what is happening to them until after that stage is over.
“Become more aware of what’s around you,” Clarett said.
Clarett also credited friends, coaches and other mentors for helping him to improve himself and deliver his message to other people.
Clarett now lives in Columbus but said he was glad to be back in town Friday.
“I’m happy to be here,” Clarett said.
Thomas Conley, president and chief executive officer of the urban league, said Clarett was a good choice for speaker Friday, especially with the theme of the dinner, “Our Youth Is Our Destiny.”
Conley said Clarett’s experiences give him an authenticity that others who try to convey the same message don’t have, and that makes his message more effective.
“He has a story to tell,” Conley said.
Conley said the reason for the theme is that it is time to prepare to pass down the mantle of leadership from one generation to the next, and that generation is today’s youth.
“It’s time to start passing the torch and preparing our youth for leadership positions,” Conley said.