COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 31 (UPI) -- Coach Jim Tressel of defending national champion Ohio State has decided to hold star running back Maurice Clarett out of practice until the fall.
Clarett recently reported the theft of a large amount of equipment from his 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. A report by campus police valued the equipment at $6,165, including two CD cases containing 300 discs, and his wallet, which had $800 in cash, and television and stereo items.
A report by WBNS-TV in Columbus said the car belonged to Car Shop, Inc., a local car dealership.
A school spokesman told the Akron Beacon-Journal that the police closed the case after a search netted nothing on fingerprints found in the car, calling the theft an isolated incident.
Also, the school is dealing with a New York Times article which alleged that Clarett got academic favors from a university professor, and an NCAA investigation of the theft. The Times article quoted a teacher's assistant as saying Clarett told her some football players had term papers written by tutors.
