After MSU-DCL College of Law Professor Robert McCormick realized what he'd gotten himself into, it was too late - he was a Spartan alumnus and lifelong fan fighting to get a young Ohio State Buckeye into the NFL Draft one year early.
"In early August, I got a telephone call from a reporter from ESPN in association with 'Outside the Lines,'" McCormick said. "He wanted to talk to me about my applicability to the idea of Maurice Clarett."
Later that month, the East Lansing resident found himself with more "applicability" to the former Ohio State star running back that he could ever imagine - as a member of Clarett's legal team challenging the NFL to allow players of Clarett's age and younger to enter the NFL Draft.
Currently, collegiate football players are prohibited from entering the NFL Draft until three years after their high school graduation.
Clarett's magical freshman season in 2002 - capped off with a dramatic, game-winning touchdown run in double-overtime to capture a national championship - coupled with off-the-field troubles this summer and a subsequent season-long suspension, prompted his decision to tackle the NFL's 14-year-old law for good.
Flashback to mid-August, and McCormick decided to become embroiled in the biggest challenge to the NFL's draft laws since Herschel Walker in 1983. McCormick authored an article in support of Clarett's attempts to change NFL draft law, much like he had done 20 years earlier in favor of Walker.
"This is a bigger deal than I had realized, so I decided to do another article for The New York Times," McCormick said. "I did it in the form of an open letter to Maurice Clarett.
"I explained to him why I believed the draft eligibility rule was illegal and why if he decided to challenge the rule, I thought he would win.
"Shortly after, I received a call from Alan Milstein, who is head counsel in the case."
Since then - most importantly on Sept. 23 when he, Clarett and the legal team filed a lawsuit against the NFL seeking to abolish the draft eligibility law - it's been his job to explain just why Clarett deserves to play on Sundays.
The lawsuit, mainly drafted by McCormick and filed in federal court, is expected to be resolved by Feb. 1. Phone calls to the NFL were not returned.
McCormick said the current law was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. The act states "every contract, combination or conspiracy in restraint of trade
