The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Maurice Clarett's bid to enter this weekend's NFL draft was turned down by the Supreme Court on Thursday, delaying for now his attempt to bypass the league's eligibility rule.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg rejected his first request, saying she saw no reason to overturn a lower court's stay preventing the former Ohio State running back from being taken in the draft.

She cited the NFL's willingness to "promptly" hold a supplemental draft if the 20-year-old Clarett, out of high school two years, prevails in his lawsuit challenging the NFL's requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro.

Clarett filed a second emergency appeal with Justice John Paul Stevens, who quickly turned it down. The athlete's lawyer said he did not plan a third.

Neither justice ruled on the merits of Clarett's claim that the NFL's rule was arbitrary and anticompetitive, robbing young players of an opportunity to enter the multimillion-dollar marketplace. His attorneys had relied on a court ruling letting major league baseball players move among teams, and other court decisions opening up the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and now-defunct United States Football League to younger players.

The NFL contends younger players are not physically ready to play professionally and may harm themselves by over-training or resorting to steroid use.

"From the NFL's perspective this was never really about Maurice Clarett. It was about a rule that has served the NFL well, served fans well and served players well for many years," said NFL attorney Gregg Levy.

Some teenage athletes have flourished in pro leagues. LeBron James was named the top rookie in the NBA this season, just one year out of high school. And 14-year-old Freddy Adu is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer.

Clarett led Ohio State to a national college football title as a freshman in 2002, but he was ruled ineligible as a sophomore for accepting money from a family friend and lying about it to NCAA and university investigators.

A Clarett victory would have helped wide receiver Mike Williams of Southern California.

"The NFL may have been successful in keeping them out of Saturday's draft, but there's always the possibility of the supplemental draft," said Williams' agent, Mike Azzarelli.

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