Clarett Still ‘Work in Progress’

Maurice Clarett is listed at 6 feet tall and 230 pounds, which would make him an above-average-sized tailback in the NFL if he were selected in April’s draft. He also is 20 years old and has only one season of college experience at Ohio State, which would make him unique among NFL players.

Clarett was cleared to make himself available for the NFL draft Thursday by a federal judge, even though he had not been out of high school for three years, as required by the NFL’s current rules.

Mel Kiper, ESPN’s NFL draft guru, said he believed Clarett would be no better than a second-round pick this year but could move into the top five if he played next season at Ohio State and then declared for the draft in 2005.

“Overall, he’s a heck of a football player who had a chance to become a great college football player,” Kiper said on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption.”

“He’s still a work in progress. There’s no question he would be better served by playing another year at Ohio State.”

College teams have long served as the staging ground where the rough edges were polished while young standouts matured into potential NFL stars. Pete Carroll, coach of the co-national champion USC Trojans, says it should stay that way.

“Sure, certain guys can handle it better than others,” said Carroll, who also coached in the NFL. “But the transition into the NFL is not as easy as they might think. It’s hard enough when you’re 22 or 23, let alone 18 or 19. They don’t know what it’s like in the NFL from an emotional and social and cultural standpoint. It can be a shock.

“It’s not like being away at college and living in a dorm or frat. Instead, it’s a job and they’re out on their own, living by themselves, and they don’t have built-in friends.”

USC receiver Mike Williams, a sophomore, like Clarett, cheered the ruling but indicated he would not be leaving school early.

“Good for Maurice Clarett,” Williams said. “It was something he went after and he was successful. Who knows? Maybe it will open the door for others who think they can succeed. But I always thought the rule was fine the way it was. So this ruling has nothing to do with me.”

At least one NFL player believed league veterans could make Clarett’s rookie season a difficult one.

“Because of the way he’s done all these things, some people here see it as disrespectful,” Washington Redskin linebacker LaVar Arrington said. “I’m sure guys are going to break his tail, try to break him in. Either he’ll succeed, or he’ll be a total bust. If he can make it that rookie year without being assassinated, I think he’ll be all right.”

Jim Brown, a friend of the Clarett family, says the young man is ready to play in the NFL.

“Maurice is a rare and exceptional talent,” said Brown, a Hall of Fame running back with the Cleveland Browns.

Brown also issued a warning of sorts to others thinking of leaving school early.

“You just don’t walk into the league because you’re eligible,” he said. “You have to prove yourself. It’s not going to change anything except offer opportunities to those rare, exceptional individuals who have the mental and physical abilities to play on that level.”

Brown said he couldn’t have made the leap at Clarett’s age.

“I needed my four years at Syracuse to develop as an athlete and a student,” he said. “I used those years to help me adjust to professional football. I wasn’t mature enough, worldly enough or confident enough, and I didn’t have enough training.”

Times staff writer Gary Klein and wire services contributed to this report.

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No Done Deal

Declaring for the NFL draft does not guarantee a spot on an NFL roster. Only a little more than half the underclassmen who made themselves available for the draft have heard their names called on draft day.

*--* Year Eligible Drafted In Top 10 1989 25 12 3 1990 38 18 5 1991 33 22 2 1992 48 25 5 1993 46 24 5 1994 43 26 6 1995 42 22 2 1996 46 21 4 1997 44 27 7 1998 41 20 3 1999 42 27 5 2000 31 20 4 2001 54 31 5 2002 43 26 5 2003 54 32 5 630 353 (56.0%) 66 (10.5%)

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Source: NFL