Former Ohio State star running back Maurice Clarett, whose fall from grace has been well-chronicled in the past decade, spoke to Notre Dame players Sunday at the request of Irish coach Brian Kelly.
The talk evidently had been scheduled before news broke Friday that four Notre Dame players are being investigated for academic fraud.
Clarett helped Ohio State win the 2002 national championship with an impressive performance in the BCS national championship game after that season. But he never played another down with the Buckeyes and eventually ended up in jail. Clarett now is a motivational speaker, and has been outspoken about how he has regained balance in his life after being jailed.
"I love speaking to the young ballplayers and sharing my story and what it is I 'wish I knew' then," Clarett wrote in an Instagram post Sunday. "I love being connected to the game."
Clarett certainly can serve as a cautionary tale for players at Notre Dame and nationally, and Notre Dame freshman wide receiver Justin Brent took to Twitter to thank Clarett.
Clarett was a third-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2005 NFL Draft, but he was released in August of that year and never played a down in a regular-season game.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.