Clarett, Watts to headline 2015 men’s Rally in Valley

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Former Ohio State University football standout Maurice Clarett will be a featured speaker at the 2015 men’s Rally in the Valley on May 16 at the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown.

Originally fashioned after the “Promise Keepers” rallies, the men’s Rally in the Valley exists to bring men together in Christian unity for prayer, fellowship, and teaching, organizers said.

This is the sixth annual rally.

Among the other speakers scheduled are Dave Roever, decorated Vietnam War veteran and motivational speaker; Tim Brown, author, educator and motivational speaker, and J.C. Watts, former U.S. congressman for Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District.

About 5,000 men attended the 2014 rally that featured Phil Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” fame.

The cost for this year’s rally is $20, which includes lunch. Entry wristbands can be obtained online at mensrally.org or by calling Bing Newton at 330-427-6578.

Despite his troubled youth, Youngstown native Maurice Clarett excelled in football. In his senior year of high school he was named the best prep player in Ohio. He was heavily recruited, but decided to stay near home and attend Ohio State.

In 2002 during his freshman year, he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship.

He then gained national attention for unsuccessfully challenging the NFL’s draft eligibility rules requiring a player to be three years removed from high school.

Then in a widely unexpected move, Clarett was drafted by the Denver Broncos on the first day of the 2005 NFL Draft

He also became well known for his tumultuous life outside of football, including his dismissal from Ohio State, several arrests, and later, imprisonment.

But Rally in the Valley organizers said the former running back for the Omaha Nighthawks wants to tell everyone that it’s not impossible to turn your life around. In November 2012, Clarett was invited back to Ohio State to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the undefeated championship season of 2002.

Having suffered from depression, Clarett joined other mental-health advocates in August 2013 to promote the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio.

He also has spoken at prisons, juvenile-detention facilities and worked with youth football camps to share his story so that others do not repeat it.

Clarett has also reconnected with Ohio State by taking courses and working out with current football players.

Watts served as a Republican U.S. representative in Congress from 1995 to 2003. He also is a Baptist minister and former college and professional football player.

views with family, friends and

associates. And in February 2014, he was invited back to Ohio State

University as part of a ceremony recognizing the National Championship team

he played on. While there, he spoke to an audience of more than 500 where

he discussed past troubles and his ongoing rehabilitation and the

restoration of his reputation. N The cost is $20 which includes lunch. Entry wristbands can be

obtained from our web site www.mensrally.org or

by calling Bing Newton at 330-427-6578.