When you’re a young phenom like Jeremiah Smith, you’re going to get career advice from a vast myriad of sources. Regardless of his generational talent, whose advice he chooses to follow can possibly make or break his career. When it comes to the idea of leaving Ohio State early and entering the NFL Draft, Smith needs to ignore those who don’t know and listen to the advice of a former Buckeye who does know.
Last week, Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports wrote an article saying Smith should follow the lead of former Buckeye running back Maurice Clarett and challenge in court the NFL’s rule that a player is not eligible for the draft until they have been out of high school for three years. Since Smith, like Clarett, was so dominant as a true freshman and scouts believe he’d be a top ten pick, Dodd says he should push to be included in the draft. Clarett completely disagreed and told Dodd,
"I wouldn't advise him to try to challenge (the NFL), push or do anything I tried to do. You'll be able to make money there. Just enjoy it all, man."Maurice Clarett
Sound advice from a guy who knows. Clarett never played a down in the NFL. After finally winning his court battle against the league, he was a surprising third-round pick of the Denver Broncos. He entered training camp very overweight (248 pounds), had not played in a game in two seasons, and was slow to recover from an injury. The Broncos let him go after just a month. Clarett speaks from experience when he says Smith should just enjoy his time playing college football.
A big difference between the situations of Smith and Clarett is NIL money. Clarett could not make money while at Ohio State and felt he should be able to use his abilities to go to the only place where he could get paid. Smith is getting paid while at Ohio State, and Clarett is correct in advising he’ll be able to make money while in college.
Unlike Dennis Dodd and others in the media, Maurice Clarett knows because he has firsthand experience. Smith needs to take the advice of someone who lived it, rather than those who like the novelty of seeing a true freshman entering the NFL Draft for their entertainment.