NEW YORK -- Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was ruled eligible for the NFL draft Thursday by a federal judge who concluded that the league's rule violates antitrust laws.

 

U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin ordered the NFL to let Clarett enter April's draft, a decision that could clear the way for others. The league will appeal.

 

Clarett, 20, played only one season at Ohio State, leading the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship. He was barred from playing in the 2003 season for accepting improper benefits from a family friend and then lying about it to investigators.

 

Clarett sued the NFL last summer to challenge the league rule that a player must be out of high school three years for draft eligibility. Thursday's ruling, if not successfully appealed, could allow teenage football stars to turn pro the way younger athletes in other sports can, such as LeBron James in the NBA.

 

No other player has challenged the 1990 NFL eligibility rule. It was adopted because the league's coaches and executives think younger players aren't physically ready for the NFL, although the 6-foot, 230-pound Clarett could be an exception.

 

Alan Milstein, a lawyer for Clarett, called Thursday's decision "a total victory" and said Clarett was "thrilled." Clarett was traveling to New York for a news conference later Thursday, Milstein said.

 

The NFL promised to appeal, saying in a statement: "We believe today's ruling is inconsistent in numerous respects with well-established labor and antitrust law."

 

It added, "We fully expect our eligibility rule to be upheld when this case is concluded."

 

Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger said Thursday that the university will continue to seek eligibility for Clarett.

 

"Today's ruling concerning Maurice Clarett's eligibility for the NFL draft has not changed the university's position regarding his role at Ohio State," Geiger said in a statement. "Should Maurice elect to continue his education and football career at Ohio State, we will work with him in the process of seeking his reinstatement with the NCAA for the 2004 season."

 

During his state of the NFL address two days before the Super Bowl, commissioner Paul Tagliabue said the league wouldn't try to reach a settlement with Clarett.

 

"It's a pretty direct point in terms of what the rule is, and Maurice Clarett's status falls under the rule," Tagliabue said then. "Our system is working. It is easy to identify players who were helped by staying in school and were developing their skills."

 

The league had argued that Clarett should not be eligible because its rule resulted from a collective bargaining agreement with the players and is immune from antitrust scrutiny. The NFL also argued that its rule is reasonable and that Clarett cannot bring such a lawsuit.

 

"While, ordinarily, the best offense is a good defense, none of these defenses hold the line," the judge wrote in a 70-page ruling.

 

She said Clarett could bring the lawsuit because he was fighting a policy that excludes all players in his position from selling their services to the only viable buyer -- the NFL.

 

"The NFL has not justified Clarett's exclusion by demonstrating that the rule enhances competition. Indeed, Clarett has alleged the very type of injury -- a complete bar to entry into the market for his services -- that the antitrust laws are designed to prevent," she said.

 

Clarett's lawyers had called the NFL's rule arbitrary and anticompetitive, arguing it robbed players like Clarett of an opportunity to enter the multimillion dollar marketplace.

 

The lawyers cited a court ruling letting baseball players move among teams, and other court decisions opening up the NBA, NHL and now-defunct USFL to younger players.

 

Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards as a freshman. Current NFL rules would prevent him from entering the draft until 2005.

 

The court ruling comes a day after Ohio State said it is investigating an ESPN.com report that a benefactor of Clarett's was gambling while in daily contact with the star running back.

 

Geiger said Wednesday he was "obviously concerned" about the allegations against Bobby Dellimuti, who calls himself a father figure and friend of the Clarett family.

 

"We will look into this matter and will support and cooperate with any and all investigations," Geiger said.

 

On Thursday, Scheindlin said the league's justifications for its rule "boil down to the same basic concern: Younger players are not physically or mentally ready to play in the NFL."

 

Yet, the judge said, less restrictive alternatives are available, such as testing each player's physical and psychological maturity.

 

"Age is obviously a poor proxy for NFL-readiness, as is restriction based solely on height or weight," she said.

 

Scheindlin suggested NFL maturity tests could provide valuable information to teams deciding on draft selections.

 

"In such a scenario, no player would be automatically excluded from the market and each team could decide what level of risk it is willing to tolerate," she wrote.

AP via ESPN.com

 

Mel Kiper on Clarett:

Should the court ruling declaring Maurice Clarett eligible for the draft be upheld, the Ohio State sophomore looks like no more than a second-round pick. Clarett had a heck of a freshman year in 2002 (1,237 yards, 5.6 ypc, 16 TDs) but missed three entire games and parts of others with injuries. Durability is a question, as is the fact that he has not played football for more than a year. Clarett has the talent to rate among the top backs available, but talented running backs like Steven Jackson, Kevin Jones and Chris Perry are coming off stellar seasons and still rank ahead of Clarett.

 

Even if Clarett returned to Ohio State he would not automatically become the top-rated RB in the nation. Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams of Auburn and Cedric Benson of Texas are all first-round talents who opted to return for their senior seasons, so Clarett will have plenty of competition even if he returns to college. No matter what happens Clarett has a lot to prove.

 

And should this ruling hold up, it will not open the floodgates to an influx of freshman and sophomores entering the draft. Look at all the potential first-round juniors who returned to college this year for their final seasons: Williams and Brown at Auburn, Benson and LB Derrick Johnson at Texas and DE Dan Cody at Oklahoma. And don't forget that every year guys like Eli Manning and Roy Williams head back to school and become top-10 caliber prospects. Some kids will test the waters, no doubt, but with so many good juniors already shying away from the NFL this ruling should not create a stampede of first and second-year players to the NFL.

 

 

Kiper stated on ESPN Radio today that he would expect him to go in the 2nd round. Obviously, I'd love for him to return to school, if that's a real option, but I'm a little biased. The NFL is going to appeal this and probably hold him out of this year's draft anyway by doing so.

He had skills he just hasnt been tested enough for a franchise RB...

Has the NFL out-XFLed th old XFL this week or what?

Now they turning college football more and more into the paradises for the 3-and-out 25% graduate programs like Oklahoma and the Florida three. ANd people wonder why Joe Paterno can't win anymore. From high school to college the NFL is bribing them with the .0001% chance at a $2M signing bonus and making a half-million for their six years sitting on the bench.

In my opinion.. I think he should go back to the buckeys and play for one more season then go to the pros.

This is a bad move and if he does well then he is one special guy.

Has the NFL out-XFLed th old XFL this week or what?

Now they turning college football more and more into the paradises for the 3-and-out 25% graduate programs like Oklahoma and the Florida three. ANd people wonder why Joe Paterno can't win anymore. From high school to college the NFL is bribing them with the .0001% chance at a $2M signing bonus and making a half-million for their six years sitting on the bench.

Kinda hard to blame the NFL for this one.

 

They don't want this at all.

They may not want it, but they are to blame for creating the present situation by marketing the league only in the interest of profits instead of the best interests of the sport and its participants.

I hope this doesn't happen because it will simply ruin The NFL Draft and College Football IMHO.

 

I despise Clarett but for some reason I think it's possible he can suprise some people. Ala Randy Moss, they had the talent but were damaged goods.

i wouldn't draft him until the 6th or 7th round, if at all.

Why OSU doesn't have their title stripped is beyond me. They used an illegal player, and they shaved points

i wouldn't draft him until the 6th or 7th round, if at all.

Why OSU doesn't have their title stripped is beyond me. They used an illegal player, and they shaved points

It's because your A Mich homer...

i wouldn't draft him until the 6th or 7th round, if at all.

Why OSU doesn't have their title stripped is beyond me. They used an illegal player, and they shaved points

:vomit

 

:rolleyes

 

:dies

this is such terrible news for college football.

 

the barrage of early draft entrants has basically stripped college basketball of all of its "star" athletes.

 

i hope to god the appeals court judge who gets this case is a football fan.

They used an illegal player, and they shaved points

:lol :lol :lol

 

And Alkazoid, I disagree greatly, I think it's going to have little to no effect on college football. It's a lot easier to be ready for the NBA than the NFL, so less players will leave early and there's more players on a football team, the gaps are easier to fill when you've got 85 as opposed to 12.

this will have little to no effect on college football.

 

 

clarett was never goign to play at the 1-A level again anyway.

It's the decision that allows other players to leave early that makes people think it's bad for college football. Don't know why, the same stupid players who leave after 3 years to get paid nothing and blow out a knee will just leave a year early.