Maurice Clarett makes plea to Ryan Day for K'Vaughan Pope
Maurice Clarett, a former Ohio State player who departed the program amidst controversy, has voiced his own support for K’Vaughan Pope during his recent trouble. Clarett took to social media to state he was “rooting for” Pope after he expressed his frustrations with the Buckeyes publicly.
Pope receiving support from Maurice Clarett
“I’m rooting for this young guy,” stated Clarett. “Sh– happens. [Head coach Ryan Day] I hope you give him another chance. Being derailed when you’re young can alter your future. Young guys need support when they f— up! Keep your head up [Pope].”
Clarett himself played for Ohio State in 2002 where he set a school record for freshman rushing yards at 1,237 and 18 touchdowns. In his only season playing with the Buckeyes, they finished the season 14-0 and won the national championship.
One year later, Clarett was suspended while being investigated for receiving benefits for playing at Ohio State. During this time, other off-field incidents led to his eventual release from the program.
Following his ugly breakup with Ohio State, Clarett challenged the NFL in court over their rules regarding NFL draft eligibility, before eventually being drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2005. In 2006, Clarett was charged with robbing two people at gunpoint and served prison time.
Clarett’s story of how he turned his life around, fighting alcoholism and depression, helped him find a second career as a motivational speaker. He has since campaigned for mental health services in Ohio, as well as founding The Red Zone — an agency dedicated to helping students with behavioral issues.
Clarett has been welcomed back to Ohio State multiple times to honor the 2002 National Championship team he was a part of.
While Pope’s future with the Buckeyes resolved on Sunday when he was dismissed from the team but having Clarett’s voice in his corner could be a step in the right direction.
Pope voiced frustration
Ohio State picked up a 59-7 win over Akron on Saturday night in Columbus, but Buckeyes’ linebacker K’Vaughan Pope’s exit was the bigger story, as he had to be escorted off to the locker room after an outburst on the sidelines and subsequent eruption on Twitter.
The senior linebacker on Sunday tweeted an apology for the tweets, which read, “Fucc Ohio State,” before it was deleted, and, “Good lucc to my teammates.”
“Last night I let my emotions get the best of me. For that I want to apologize to my teammates, coaches and Buckeye Nation,” Pope said via Twitter on Sunday. “I made a mistake and know that I need to be better and do better. I’m going to take this time to reflect and work on my mental well-being.”
Saturday’s drama began when Pope appeared to head back to the locker room on his own, but was then brought back to the sidelines where he started to take off his jersey. When he first returned to the locker room and got a hold of his phone, however, Pope began posting on Twitter.
“Someone just kind of told me about the tweet,” head coach Ryan Day said immediately after the game Saturday. “I am going to get all the details about everything that just happened before I say anything there.”
On3’s Simon Gibbs contributed to this article.