Maurice Clarett Offers Advice to Terrelle Pryor, Discusses His Time at OSU

On Tuesday, former OSU star running back Maurice Clarett appeared on an Omaha radio station to talk about the temptation of receiving improper benefits and to offer advice to Terrelle Pryor.

According to WBNS-TV, Clarett stated, "You've got to realize I was 19 at the time.  When you're 19, you're made at the world. Everything's taken away from you in part because of some of the things that I did to myself, taking illegal benefits and things like that."

Clarett discussed the constant temptation of receiving improper benefits: "If you gave them kids $30,000, $20,000, there wouldn't be any situations where they'd be having illegal benefits or having to take things. They try to say, 'Well, every program is not the same. Well, that's life.'  Everybody doesn't get paid the same."

Finally, Clarett offered Pryor some advice. "When I talk to Terrelle, it's more or less, 'I don't want you to go down the same road I did.'  I don't get into what took place at Ohio State, but I understand the mistakes I made after I left Ohio State. I don't want to see him do some of the things I did."

Clarett, who set a freshman record by rushing for 1,237 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns, led the Buckeyes to the 2002 BCS National Championship. After he was suspended for the 2003 season due to a slew of incidents, Clarett challenged the NFL eligibility rules, wanting to head for professional football after only one year of college. 

In 2006, Clarett was convicted on two counts of armed robbery. After a high-profile police chase, he was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison. In 2010, he was released early.

Clarett now plays for the United Football League as the Omaha Nighthawks' No. 2 running back, where he rushed 37 times for 154 yards and one touchdown.