Court formally rules against former college player who sought to enter NFL draft early

NEW YORK (AP) _ A federal appeals court formally ruled Monday against former college player Maurice Clarett's effort to enter the National Football League draft early. <br/><br/>The court said federal

Monday, May 24th 2004, 5:49 pm

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ A federal appeals court formally ruled Monday against former college player Maurice Clarett's effort to enter the National Football League draft early.

The court said federal labor policy permits NFL teams to act together to set rules for when players can enter the professional league.

The ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was consistent with the court's refusal last month to permit the former Ohio State running back into the draft.

A lower court judge had ruled Clarett eligible for the draft, saying the NFL was violating federal antitrust laws by blocking his 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 eventually 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 in April, and Clarett was ineligible. The latest ruling means he will not be eligible for a supplemental draft and will have to wait for the 2005 draft.

Clarett rushed for 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.

Clarett lawyer Alan Milstein on Monday did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment.

NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash declared a ``complete victory'' for the league. He 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.''