cthomer5000
05-24-2004, 07:28 PM
ESPN.com news services
<!-- template inline --><!-- insertinlineAd -->NEW YORK -- A federal appeals court formally ruled Monday against Maurice Clarett's effort to enter the NFL draft early, saying federal labor policy permits NFL teams to act together to set rules for when players can enter the league.
<!-- BEGIN INLINE UNIT -->http://adsatt.espn.starwave.com/ad/sponsors/blank/blank-espn.gif (http://log.go.com/log?srvc=sz&a=1&drop=0&addata=1331:275:141468:65&guid=9233EBE0-3B76-4FE7-A88C-A934D3652270&goto=)<!-- InContent Blank -->
<!-- END INLINE UNIT -->The ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan was consistent with the appeals court's refusal last month to permit the former Ohio State running back into the NFL draft.
A lower court judge had ruled him eligible for the draft, saying the NFL was violating federal antitrust laws by blocking Clarett's entry into his profession with a rule barring eligibility until a player was three years out of high school.
After the appeals court blocked Clarett's entry, saying it believed it would rule against him, the 20-year-old athlete sought help from the U.S. Supreme Court. Two justices turned him down.
The draft was held on April 24-25, and Clarett was ineligible for it. This ruling means he will not be eligible for a supplemental draft and will have to wait for the 2005 draft.
Clarett's attorney Alan C. Milstein told ESPN's Sal Paolontonio that on Tuesday Clarett will file a motion for the case to be heard before the entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in Manhattan.
A victory by Clarett would have helped another college player as well: wide receiver Mike Williams of Southern California, who also was seeking to get into the draft in violation of the three-year rule.
Williams' agent, Michael Azzarelli told ESPN on Monday he will file a separate lawsuit against NFL in Tampa alleging the NFL encouraged Williams to make himself eligible for the draft.
Azzarelli has said that Williams' NFL eligibility should be considered separately from Clarett's because he entered the draft only after the league set a new deadline for previously ineligible players in the aftermath of the ruling that made Clarett eligible.
NFL officials have said they will keep Williams out of the league along with Clarett if they're legally able to do so because they warned Williams before he entered the draft they would attempt to overturn the decision and would rule Williams ineligible if they were able to reverse the decision.
NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash said in a statement that the appeals court ruling Monday "leaves no doubt that legal challenges to the NFL's long-standing eligibility rules have no basis whatsoever."
"We are grateful for the Court's prompt attention to our appeal, but not at all surprised by the result, which represents a complete victory for the National Football League," he said.
Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman in 2002, leading the Buckeyes to the national championship. He was suspended before the 2003 season for accepting money from a family friend and lying about it to NCAA and Ohio State investigators.
He also pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor after exaggerating the value of items stolen from a car he borrowed from a Columbus used-car dealer. He was fined $100.
<!-- template inline --><!-- insertinlineAd -->NEW YORK -- A federal appeals court formally ruled Monday against Maurice Clarett's effort to enter the NFL draft early, saying federal labor policy permits NFL teams to act together to set rules for when players can enter the league.
<!-- BEGIN INLINE UNIT -->http://adsatt.espn.starwave.com/ad/sponsors/blank/blank-espn.gif (http://log.go.com/log?srvc=sz&a=1&drop=0&addata=1331:275:141468:65&guid=9233EBE0-3B76-4FE7-A88C-A934D3652270&goto=)<!-- InContent Blank -->
<!-- END INLINE UNIT -->The ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan was consistent with the appeals court's refusal last month to permit the former Ohio State running back into the NFL draft.
A lower court judge had ruled him eligible for the draft, saying the NFL was violating federal antitrust laws by blocking Clarett's entry into his profession with a rule barring eligibility until a player was three years out of high school.
After the appeals court blocked Clarett's entry, saying it believed it would rule against him, the 20-year-old athlete sought help from the U.S. Supreme Court. Two justices turned him down.
The draft was held on April 24-25, and Clarett was ineligible for it. This ruling means he will not be eligible for a supplemental draft and will have to wait for the 2005 draft.
Clarett's attorney Alan C. Milstein told ESPN's Sal Paolontonio that on Tuesday Clarett will file a motion for the case to be heard before the entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in Manhattan.
A victory by Clarett would have helped another college player as well: wide receiver Mike Williams of Southern California, who also was seeking to get into the draft in violation of the three-year rule.
Williams' agent, Michael Azzarelli told ESPN on Monday he will file a separate lawsuit against NFL in Tampa alleging the NFL encouraged Williams to make himself eligible for the draft.
Azzarelli has said that Williams' NFL eligibility should be considered separately from Clarett's because he entered the draft only after the league set a new deadline for previously ineligible players in the aftermath of the ruling that made Clarett eligible.
NFL officials have said they will keep Williams out of the league along with Clarett if they're legally able to do so because they warned Williams before he entered the draft they would attempt to overturn the decision and would rule Williams ineligible if they were able to reverse the decision.
NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash said in a statement that the appeals court ruling Monday "leaves no doubt that legal challenges to the NFL's long-standing eligibility rules have no basis whatsoever."
"We are grateful for the Court's prompt attention to our appeal, but not at all surprised by the result, which represents a complete victory for the National Football League," he said.
Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman in 2002, leading the Buckeyes to the national championship. He was suspended before the 2003 season for accepting money from a family friend and lying about it to NCAA and Ohio State investigators.
He also pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor after exaggerating the value of items stolen from a car he borrowed from a Columbus used-car dealer. He was fined $100.