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Maurice: Our Door is Open--If You’re Man Enough
UHND.com - Todd Carr
9/12/2003

Maurice Clarett is an idiot. Make no mistake about it. Right now he's wearing a dunce cap instead of a football helmet. In fact, he's the equivalent of a dude who makes an interception and runs the ball back 100 yards--into the wrong end zone. He's the dolt of dolts.

That's exactly why he needs Tyrone Willingham.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Clarett is a pariah. A locker room and overall program cancer. An introvert. The antithesis of a team guy. He complains more than someone who's been in line at the DMV for eight hours. He's not the kind of guy we want to take a chance on, and have him tarnishing our beloved Golden Dome. Especially after last year's rape fiasco. We've had enough controversy, thank you very much.

Have you seen him run the ball? You put a ball in his hands and this guy is Forrest Gump with an IQ, and a lot more attitude.

Let's not make excuses for him, but seriously, has he ever really had a father figure? Someone to look up to? To emulate? There are a lot of us who were like Clarett when we were nineteen. We made mistakes, learned from them, and grew up, didn't we? (If you're reading this from jail, don't answer). The fact of the matter is, ultimately, no one has ever expected Maurice Clarett to do anything but score touchdowns. He's actually a very smart kid. Unmotivated academically? Sure. But, lots of college kids are. Julius Jones was. He got his act together. Maybe, like Jones, Clarett will learn a lesson from all this? Look at what making a mistake has done for Julius? Why can't Clarett learn too?

Notre Dame is the perfect place for Mo. Clarett will never have more expected of him than he will at ND. Besides, he's suspended for a year anyway. Why not offer him a scholarship (with the transfer of the Olsen twins--pun intended--we have a couple extra lying around). Why not give him a chance to see if he can cut the mustard in the classroom? To see if he can cut the mustard, period.

This kid just needs someone to expect more from him than football. Someone to have high expectations of him as a person. That guy is Tyrone Willingham. If Ty can't get this kid focused and on track, I'm wearing my Grandmother's underwear. Besides, we recruited him before. He qualified academically then, didn't he? Let's give him another chance to make the right decision, and an opportunity to experience what expectations, team, and finishing what you started is all about. He's never going to have a better opportunity to spend time with a better mentor, than he would at ND with Ty.

Imagine this: Ryan Grant and a resurrected, focused, disciplined Maurice Clarett as our two headed monster in 2004. Boy, that schedule would suddenly look a whole lot easier, wouldn't it? How great would Clarett look in the blue and gold? Answer: %$#@&%$ great.

Unfortunately, there's one big question Clarett needs to answer first:. Is he man enough to come to ND? Is he man enough to put his teammates first? To go to class--better yet--show some class? Ultimately, that's a question Maurice has to answer. Whether he wants to take the easy way out, or, be like Julius Jones, and be a man about failure, is one hundred and ten percent up to him.

Maurice: our door is open. But, only if you're ready to expect more from yourself than just football and be a man. Because, Notre Dame expects--and deserves--nothing less than your best. In every part of your life.

Todd Carr

Send questions or comments to Todd Carr at nddomehome@hotmail.com