Ohio State 2002-2003 RB - Maurice Clarett (2002 B1G Ten FOY, National Champion)

Rob Oller | Ohio State football owes a lot to The Strip by Maurice Clarett in 2003 Fiesta Bowl https://t.co/FSq7dFuG0i

— BuckeyeXtra.com (@BuckeyeXtra) May 11, 2020

 

Inside the latest chapter of former Ohio State star Maurice Clarett's life turnaround https://t.co/cnn4NQwzfO

— Maurice Clarett (@ReeseClarett13) May 12, 2020

 

Maurice Clarett consulting with UConn men's basketball https://t.co/EjTIc6cN80

— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) June 27, 2020

 

Football standout gives back to the Valley by providing meals for Youngstown athletes | https://t.co/0MukAH3wwp https://t.co/Ow6GLujpLK

— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) August 7, 2020

 

On This Date In Ohio State History - Sept. 14, 2002 - Freshman running back Maurice Clarett rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns to lead sixth-ranked Ohio State to a 25-7 win over No. 10 Washington State.

📷: Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/zAAlY5Y9bb

— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) September 14, 2020

 

One of the biggest plays in Ohio State football history..........

 

Buckeye Pipelines: Paul Warfield, Korey Stringer, Maurice Clarett and Boom Herron Among Former Ohio State Stars from Warren G. Harding https://t.co/HQQYAUqb7S via @11W

— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) February 26, 2022

RB MAURICE CLARETT (2002)
Clarett helped lead the Buckeyes to a perfect 14–0 season and national championship during his lone season with the team. Clarett exploded onto the scene as he raced for 175 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener against Texas Tech. He finished the year with then-Ohio State freshman records of 1,237 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.

He played a key role in Ohio State’s Fiesta Bowl victory over Miami to win the national title. Following an interception by Miami safety Sean Taylor, Clarett chased him down and stripped the ball away to get possession back for the Buckeyes. On his final play as a Buckeye, he scored the game-winning touchdown in Ohio State’s double overtime victory.

Regrettably, Clarett's Ohio State career ended following the 2002 undefeated season. He ran into legal trouble after a brief stint with the NFL’s Denver Broncos, but has since turned his life around. Clarett founded The Red Zone in 2016 to provide mental health, addiction and recovery, school-based social work and other services in the Youngstown area. Clarett also has a podcast, The Champ Program, with Jay Richardson.

Clarett was Ohio's Mr. Football, a U.S. Army All-American and USA Today's Offensive High School Player of the Year during his senior season at Warren G. Harding, where he spent his final three years of high school after attending Austintown-Fitch as a freshman.

 

The last time Ohio State beat a non-conference, Power-5 school, at home, at night, Maurice Clarett was a featured spectator-- 2003 opener vs Washington.
Today, @ReeseClarett13 has back in the Shoe, and was quite happy after Emeke Egbuka's 1st quarter TD pic.twitter.com/eLxLTCcNpC

— Mark Kunz (@MarkAKunz) September 4, 2022

 

Almost nine years after the 30 for 30 “Youngstown Boys” was released by ESPN, Maurice Clarett will be profiled on College GameDay in a feature on Saturday. https://t.co/5Gs5YAaS1R

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 25, 2022

 

After winning a national championship with the Buckeyes, Maurice Clarett's life took a turn, in part from self-destruction.

Now, Clarett has rebuilt his life, his mindset and his relationship with Ohio State ❤️ pic.twitter.com/e2aX8nh74t

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 26, 2022

 

It means everything. We have the same level of recruits. We have the same facilities. We have great support staffs. We have all we need to win. You have to execute or people will poke holes into who you are or Market yourself to be. We can beat Ga…it’s going to take nastiness

— Maurice Clarett (@ReeseClarett13) December 21, 2022

When you get your ass kicked you lose your prestige. That’s just the way it is. You give coaches an opportunity to talk bad about you and kids are persuaded.

— Maurice Clarett (@ReeseClarett13) December 21, 2022

 

Ex Buckeye Maurice Clarett's Ohio State Legacy Continues With Daughter's Commitment#GoBuckshttps://t.co/xpCqPN938X

— BuckeyesNow (@BuckeyesNow_FN) May 15, 2023

 

Could Ohio State have avoided the losses that plagued them in 2003 and 2004 had Maurice Clarett been on those teams? https://t.co/ANyfGuZ3MC

— Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) June 9, 2023

 

You can’t mention football and The Great State of Ohio without mentioning the #YoungstownBoyz … Me and my main man got together to do a photo shoot for the @youngstownclothingco … Football has provided me a great life. Thank God for all of the good that’s come from it!!… pic.twitter.com/gXfAOUTpBr

— Maurice Clarett (@ReeseClarett13) November 20, 2023