Ghosts of Prospects Past: Maurice Clarett Headed To a Halfway House

It's too little, too late, but former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett said he was "humbled" by his experience in jail the last few years.

Clarett made this statement in front of judge David Fais on Wednesday before being transferred to a halfway house for conviction on armed robbery charges and carrying a concealed weapon, among other charges.

Clarett is a cautionary tale about the dangers of ego run wild. The pinnacle of his football career was the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3, 2003, when he helped the Buckeyes beat the Miami Hurricanes in overtime.

It was all downhill from there, as Clarett was charged with filing a false police report and ended up missing the 2003 season.

He attempted to enter the 2004 NFL Draft, but was denied due to age. He sued the NFL and briefly scored a victory before the decision was overturned.

Then came his disastrous performance at the 2005 NFL Combine where he was dubbed "Slo-Mo" by the media for his 4.72 and 4.82 times in the 40-yard dash.

Despite that, he was drafted in the third round by the Denver Broncos. But he showed up to camp 20 pounds overweight and argued frequently with the coaching staff. He never played one down, even in a preseason game.

Then came his arrest on Jan. 1, 2006 for armed robbery and his subsequent arrest that August after a police chase that revealed he was carrying loaded guns and an AK-47 in his vehicle, wearing Kevlar and had been in the neighborhood of one of the witnesses scheduled to testify against him in his armed robbery trial.

Clarett never was happy with the opportunities he was given and the multiple "second chances" only professional athletes seem to earn. He always insisted he was getting a raw deal and burned more bridges than most people get to cross in a lifetime.

Clarett showed a stunning lack of insight from 2002 through 2006 and ruined any chance of ever having an NFL career.

After three-and-a-half years in jail, no chance of ever seeing an NFL game as a participant, and a felony conviction on his record, one only can hope he finally has learned his lesson.