Skip navigation
Site powered by
Latest news:
msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines: Grammys open with prayer for Whitney Houston

Clarett arrested? Oh the humanity!

Troubled athlete joins Rose, Tyson as spectacular flameout

Image: Maurice ClarettAP
Maurice Clarett makes a phone call as he is booked at Franklin County Corrections Center Wednesday. He was arrested after a highway chase that ended with police using Mace on him, and later finding four loaded guns in his SUV.

Mike Celizic
Falls from grace, as with most things in life, come in a wide variety of forms. There are the little slipups — like Don Mattingly getting nailed for urinating in an alley — that are immediately forgiven and quickly forgotten. There are the basic knuckleheaded stunts that are embarrassing but can be weathered with time — like Paul Hornung’s suspension for gambling. And then there are the flaming Hindenburg-like crashes from on high that are so spectacular they leave us gaping in awe, dumbstruck at the destruction. Oh, the humanity.

It’s not easy to make that last category. It is, in fact, just as difficult in its own way as it is to climb to the summit of the opposite end of the spectrum, where only those who are darned-near perfect hang their laundry. But Maurice Clarett has managed it.

A little more than four years ago, Clarett was the best thing to happen to Ohio since free rights on red. The star freshman running back for the Ohio State Buckeyes scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime to beat Miami and bring the national championship back to Columbus.

A year later, he was a mild slipup, charged with lying to police. A bit later, he was edging into basic knucklehead mode, showing up out of shape for the scouting combine and neglecting to exert any effort in Broncos camp. Within another year, he was charged with robbing someone of a cellphone — at gunpoint. He was teetering on the edge.

Early Wednesday morning, he came down in flames in an episode made for a wildest police chase video. We’ll leave to the police the questions of where he was going after 2 a.m. dressed in body armor and driving an SUV with a stock of loaded guns and a half-bottle of vodka. I’m guessing it wasn’t to pick up groceries.

The fall took a while to develop, but it vaults Clarett into the top rank of fallen athletes, earning him a seat in the same row with Lawrence Phillips, the former star running back at Nebraska who started his slide by beating up women and most recently had elevated his game to stealing a car and trying to run down a flock of teenagers.

A couple rows lower down is Art Schliester, the former Ohio State star quarterback who was eaten whole by a gambling addiction. Near him is Todd Marinuanovich, the USC quarterback who would rather get stoned than play football. He’s keeping a seat warm for Ricky Williams, who may or may not yet turn things around before he hits the rocks.

Slideshow
Image: Snee, 8, son of New York Giants player Chris Snee and head coach Coughlin's grandson plays in the confetti after the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis
  The Week in Sports Pictures
The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more.

more photos

At the top of this heap of losers reigns Pete Rose, the all-time hits king of baseball who spent time in jail for tax evasion and is spending the rest of his life and then eternity banned from baseball because he gambled on games.

At his right hand is Mike Tyson, who was having a great career right up until he was sent to the slammer for sexually assaulting a beauty pageant contestant. On his discharge, he worked some Hannibal Lector into his act, spent every nickel Don King let him keep of the hundreds of millions of dollars he made, and pretty much dropped off the face of the earth.


advertisement
More news
Image: Boston College v Miami
Getty Images
'I'm taking that program down'

Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.

Image: LSU quarterback Jefferson is stripped of the ball by Alabama's Hightower during the second half of the NCAA BCS National Championship college football game in New Orleans
Reuters
CFT: Jefferson says 'Alabama was more prepared'

CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.

NBC VIDEO
Clarett arrested
Aug. 9: Former college football standout Maurice Clarett was arrested early Wednesday after a police chase, and police later found four loaded guns in his SUV.
Video: Football from NBC Sports
Memphis fulfills BCS dream
Tigers officials thrilled to announce that school has been accepted to join the Big East Conference in 2013.

Slideshow
Image: Joe Paterno
  Joe Paterno (1926-2012)
A look at the career of legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
Image:
  BCS title game
Check out photos of Crimson Tide's victory over Tigers.

more photos

Slideshow
Image: Kansas State running back Pease is tackled by Arkansas defensive tackle Jones during the Cotton Bowl Classic football game in Arlington, Texas
  Bowled over
Check out the action from the postseason games.

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
Kansas vs Oklahoma State
  All-American team
Check out which players were best of the best at each position.

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
Image: Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio - Wisconsin v Oregon
  College cheer
Check out some of the college football cheerleaders from across the country.

NBCSports.com