By Charles Farmer
Contributing Columnist
Columbus Post

When I first received the text message on my cell phone about former OSU football player Maurice Clarett being arrested again, my initial reaction was sadness, which might surprise many.
I have been very critical of Clarett in the past and went as far as calling him a spoiled brat for his behavior off the field. Clarett had the world in his hands (leading Ohio State to a national championship as a freshman) but evidently it became too heavy for him to handle alone because he dropped it and the globe has now broken into itty bitty pieces (as he faces numerous charges and a $5 million plus bond).
Clarett was arrested on the morning of August 9 after he made an illegal U-turn on the east side of Columbus and failed to stop for police. Once apprehended, he was found wearing a bullet proof vest and possessing three loaded handguns and an assault rifle inside his vehicle.
He was everybody’s all-American, the number one prep player in the country, the guy that every school wanted. As I stated in a previous column, this is one case where I believe preferential treatment of a special athlete backfired because he didn’t know how to handle the fame.
Former college and NFL Coach Jimmy Johnson once said, “Guys with talent get treated differently.”
The nature of sports in this country is that talented athletes are rewarded for their ability to perform, particularly if they participate in football and basketball.
Let me be clear, that I understand Clarett’s actions are of his own doing, but deep inside I almost feel that the athletic system let him down by providing preferential treatment.
I vividly remember Clarett’s sideline incident with former OSU tailback coach Tim Spencer during the 2002 season in the Northwestern game, where while receiving instruction the freshman pulled away and continued playing in the contest. He would receive more “second chances” when other episodes occurred at the school.
Even when Clarett challenged the National Football League legally so he could play early, despite losing on appeal in a higher court, the Youngstown native received another chance the following year when he was drafted in the third round by the Denver Broncos.
In the NFL, most guys usually get one chance, unless they display exceptional talent, but the standard is that the league often plays hard ball because they know that someone else will gladly accept the opportunity and money that a player like Clarett has thrown away. In the professional ranks, athletes come a dime a dozen.
In the Clarett scenario, preferential treatment has been disastrous for him. I have this weird feeling that Clarett missed being in the spotlight and was in need of attention that sports provided and he acted out.
Think about this, prior to this latest incident, Clarett was arrested in January 2006, on the same day the Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
His latest arrest took place when most college and NFL training camps are opening. Simply put, it’s the time Clarett would normally be playing football.
The question I have is why was Clarett in Columbus, the place where most sports fans and people are frustrated with him?
It’s clear Clarett’s done in this city; he can’t catch a break because of the controversy he brought to the OSU football program. It’s a place where people were waiting for him to mess-up.
For Clarett, this is rock bottom, there’s no turning back. He’s about to receive a serious life lesson and I hope he takes time to learn more about himself.
Now that the fanfare is gone, it’s evident Clarett does not know what to do without football. The real sad thing is he recently became a father and is apparently headed to prison.
He’s really going to have to depend on himself now. Clarett is truly on his own.
The decisions that we make can destroy or take away what’s good in our lives in a matter of minutes and Maurice Clarett is about to learn that lesson the hard way.

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