Earlier today, MDS pointed out that former NFL (for like three weeks) running back Maurice Clarett hopes to try out for the UFL’s Omaha Nighthawks. To do so, Clarett needs permission from a judge to leave the Commonwealth of Ohio.
And the Nighthawks have issued a statement indicating that, indeed, the first-year UFL franchise has expressed an interest in giving Clarett a tire-kicking.
“Maurice Clarett has paid his debt to society and through recent conversations with Maurice, his lawyer and his family, we believe he is sincerely working at turning his life around,” Nighthawks G.M. Rick Mueller said. “Because we believe everyone deserves a second chance, and because Maurice wants to see whether he can still play the game he loves, we’ve agreed to work Maurice out as soon as the Ohio courts allow. There are no commitments other than we want to help him take positive steps towards being the good citizen and solid family man that he aspires to be.”
It remains to be seen whether Clarett can play. More than a year after missing two NFL seasons due to incarceration, Mike Vick is still struggling to regain his pre-prison form. Clarett last played in a game since January 2003.
More than seven years later, it’s unlikely that Clarett will convince anyone other than a group of guys in sweatpants and/or Wranglers to give him a shot.