30 FOR 30: YOUNGSTOWN BOYS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of sports documentaries presented by ESPN about important figures and events in athletic history. This program explores the rise and fall of college football star Maurice Clarett and his coach and friend Jim Tressel. In 2003, Ohio State University athletic director Andy Geiger made headlines when he banned famed player Clarett from the field for the year for assorted infractions. Clarett's mother Michelle explains that their home of Youngstown has suffered economic and social hardships since the closing the steel mills on "Black Monday" 1977, leading to a steady rise in poverty and violent crime. Maurice, however, showed an aptitude for sports and developed his skills under the eye of his strict high school coach, Thom McDaniels, and soon became locally famous, drawing comparisons to his friend, rising basketball star LeBron James. Clarett, nicknamed "The Beast" for his fearsome playing skills, received many promising offers from colleges around the country, and he opted to attend OSU in order to work with Coach Tressel, beloved in Ohio for his talents and his paternal "we're all in this together" attitude towards his underprivileged students. Clarett graduated early in order to begin his college career, and he and Tressel bonded through their deep conversations about issues of social strife and inequality.
Tressel explains that he emulated his own coach father's affectionate attitude toward his players, and though some upperclassmen were resentful of Clarett's confidence and determination, Tressel made the unusual decision to place him, a freshman and a tailback, in the starting position. Many in the football-obsessed community expressed their worries of favoritism, but Clarett proved himself beyond any doubt and thrilled the crowd when he scored several touchdowns early in his very first game. Clarett became an instant celebrity and continued to play exceptionally well, though Tressel cautioned him against the "pitfalls" of celebrity. Clarett soon helped OSU to beat Michigan, their longtime rival, and though he was soon featured on magazine covers, he remained focused on the game and on reaching out with positive messages for young people in his struggling hometown. In a game against Miami in January 2003, Clarett played through an injury and made a skillful defensive move, despite holding a different position, and everyone was stunned when OSU pulled off an impressive win in the second overtime. He then found himself embroiled in an NCAA investigation, however, after suspicions were raised about some potentially illegal activity involving a borrowed car. He was then sharply criticized for an interview with Gene Wojciechowski in which he hinted at his interest in a "one-and-done," meaning entering the NFL after only one year of college football, considered a traitorous and unfair choice.
Matters grew worse when he attempted to return home to attend a murdered friend's funeral and publicly stated that the school lied about giving him permission to do so, and famed Cleveland Browns player Jim Brown fanned the flames by accusing Geiger, who was pursuing Clarett "with a vengeance," of behaving like a "slavemaster." Geiger eventually banned Clarett for a year and made several other harsh stipulations for his return, including "punishment runs" and a tutor-free 3.5 GPA, and Tressel observes that the penalties did not teach any useful lesson. Clarett began to feel that Tressel had not done enough to help him and was merely protecting his own job, and when the suspension extended indefinitely, Clarett opted to sue the NFL to override the rule stating that players must be at least three years out of high school to be eligible for the draft. U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin explains why she chose support his claim, but the NFL, seeing the college football program as a "free farm system" to train their future players, filed an expedited appeal to the second circuit and had the ruling overturned in 2004. Clarett, forbidden from playing college ball and from pursuing professional sports for two more years, watched his friend James ascending to even higher fame and soon began "spiraling down" and drinking heavily alongside his new friend, entrepreneur Hai Waknine.
Clarett was finally allowed to enter the 2005 NFL draft and was selected by Denver, but the combination of his out-of-practice physical state and his emotional turmoil caused him to be quickly released from the contract. He soon got involved with crime, much to the shock of his girlfriend, Ashley Evans, and went into a "total shutdown" after the birth of their daughter. In August 2006, Clarett was involved in an armed high-speed chase with police and seemed to be considering suicide, though his mother was able to convince him to turn himself in without violence. He describes his use of drugs and alcohol to self-medicate his feelings of depression, and he explains that he used his time in prison to reevaluate his life and his identity as "The Beast." He read voraciously and started a blog about his personal journey, and he was released after three years for good behavior and reconnected with Tressel, though Tressel was soon forced to resign from OSU after allowing ineligible players onto the field and permitting the illegal sale of signed memorabilia. Clarett and Tressel began reaching out to underprivileged youths and prisoners, with Clarett speaking out about his poor choices and eventual turnaround, and he comments on his efforts to bond with his daughter while mourning the 2012 death of his own absentee father. Clarett resolved to finish his undergrad degree at OSU, while Tressel accepted a non-athletic position at the University of Akron. In 2012, both Clarett and Tressel were invited to an OSU reunion celebrating the 2002 team, and their work together continues. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ESPN
- DATE: December 14, 2013 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:45:58
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 114774
- GENRE: Sports
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Sports; Sports; Football
- SERIES RUN: ESPN - TV series, 2009-
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Bank of America
- TV - Commercials - Buick automobiles
- TV - Promos - "30 For 30" home videos
CREDITS
- Gary Cohen … Executive Producer
- John Dahl … Executive Producer
- Connor Schell … Executive Producer
- Bill Simmons … Executive Producer
- Colby Gottert … Producer
- Andy Billman … Producer
- Jeff Zimbalist … Producer, Director
- Michael Zimbalist … Producer, Director
- Erin McPherson … Associate Producer
- Nate Ortiz … 2nd Unit Field Producer
- Maurice Clarett … Interviewee
- Jim Tressel … Interviewee
- Michelle Clarett … Interviewee
- Thom McDaniels … Interviewee
- Gene Wojciechowski … Interviewee
- Jim Brown … Interviewee
- Shira Scheindlin … Interviewee
- Hai Waknine … Interviewee
- Ashley Evans … Interviewee
- LeBron James
- Andy Geiger