Fitzgerald Cecilio

After making plenty of money in college and jail stints for guns and drugs, former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett has turned his life around, according to book released by Forbes' Monte Burke.

Burke followed former Omaha Nighthawks coach Joe Moglia and at the same time highlighted Clarett's story in a book entitled "4th and Goal: One Man's Quest to Recapture His Dream".

According to some excerpts from the book, Clarett, now playing in the UFL for the Omaha Nighthawks, has instituted team dinners and had each player and coach share his life story.

Despite all of his off-field troubles, Clarett became a star running back in high school and ended up at Ohio State.

In his first game in 2002, he gained 175 yards and three touchdowns, making him an instant star, and helped the Buckeyes to the national championship.

"I took golf, fishing, and softball as classes," Clarett said, according to the excerpt. "Away from class, anything you can think of I did in my 13 months at Ohio State."

While playing in college, Clarett said he was doing drugs and chasing women and claimed to own three cars, including a new Cadillac and Lexus.

"I was living the NFL life in college," he said in the book. "I got paid more in college than I do now in the UFL."

He was later suspended for receiving improper benefits and then filed a phony police report claiming $10,000 in goods had been stolen from him.

Clarett tried his chance in the NFL but he was prevented from entering the draft after just one year in college. He filed a case against the league but lost.

After that, Clarett's life started to unravel, turning to drugs and alcohol. "I would ride around in my car carrying life sentences, with pounds of weed and bricks of cocaine," he said.

He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2005 but he was cut before the end of training camp because he was partying too much at night.

He was arrested in 2006 for allegedly robbing a man at gunpoint. He tried to pay the man off, but it didn't work. He was headed to trial and most likely to jail.

A desperate Clarett tried to get back at the man who filed the case against him. Carrying a loaded assault rifle and three handguns, he headed to man's house but missed the exit. He was later arrested for gun possession and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Clarett's prison stint made him a new man, living a life away from drugs and alcohol.

He tried out for the Nighthawks in 2010 and made the team, despite not being in top shape.

"I don't want people to say 'Don't be like Maurice Clarett,'" he said. "In fact, I want the opposite. I want people to see me now and say they want to be like me. And I'm working every day to earn that."

Former Ohio State Back Maurice Clarett a Changed Man