‘‘How do they know where they’re going in the clouds?" Clarett asked in 2002. ‘‘If I was up there (in the cockpit), I might be happy."

And the pilots might be nervous.

By most measures, Clarett’s biggest decisions the last three years have not inspired confidence in his sense of direction. With Clarett calling the shots, his college career began to unravel soon after it began. Flying by the seat of his pants cost him his shirt, a No. 13 jersey to be exact.

When he wasn’t violating NCAA bylaws by accepting improper benefits that led to his suspension from the team, he was suing the NFL for early entry into the 2004 draft and dropping out of school before the suit was settled.

Clarett made other controversial choices, such as telling ESPN The Magazine that Ohio State coaches knowingly bent the rules in his favor.

Perhaps his most damaging career decision, however, was showing up out of shape last year for the NFL scouting combine, where teams measure players’ physical abilities and take stock of their mental state. Clarett then refused to work out for the scouts and general managers gathered in Indianapolis.

The NFL tends to be tolerant of transgressions until they occur on its own turf.

When Clarett did finally work out for scouts, a few weeks later at OSU, the results were less than inspiring.

‘‘I heard he was not in good shape . . . that (OSU defensive lineman) Tim Anderson ran the shuttle drills better than he did," said Gil Brandt, the former Dallas Cowboys general manager who now works for the NFL.

Brandt, citing another puzzling decision by Clarett, said word got around last year before the combine that the running back had left a New Orleans training facility just six days into what was supposed to be a two-month stay.

‘‘He thought he didn’t need any more work," Brandt said.

Finally, there was Clarett’s decision early this month to pull out of a nationally televised college all-star skills competition just days before the event.

One could argue whether the decision not to participate was the right one, but it’s hard to debate that the timing of the move was less than ideal, given Clarett’s history.

Yet despite Clarett’s jagged judgment calls of the past, the 20-year-old has one more opportunity to wipe the slate clean — or at least brush it off a bit — this year at the combine, which begins Thursday in Indianapolis. And, yes, he will work out this time, his appointment having been set for 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

"He’s very fortunate in that he has a second chance to win the lottery," Brandt said. "A lot of people don’t have that opportunity. If he is smart, he will be in the best shape of his life come Feb. 24."

And he will be, said Steve Feldman, who officially became Clarett’s agent a month ago (he had counseled the player for months after Clarett parted ways with his first adviser, Jimmy Sexton).

"He’s going to have to run fast, lift a lot of weight and perform brilliantly in the drills . . . and I’m absolutely certain he will kick butt," Feldman said last week.

Clarett’s cousin, Vince Marrow, also thinks the tailback is in great shape but wasn’t ready to predict how the workouts would go.

"His excuses for not working out are over. He needs to run a pretty good time to change the negativity," Marrow said. "Coaches will be saying, ‘Show me why we should take a chance on you.’ He needs to run a 4.5 or 4.6 (in the 40-yard dash to be drafted in the first three rounds). If he runs a 4.7, I’m thinking he might go in the sixth or seventh round."

Brandt thinks an impressive time in the 40 isn’t as important as acing the shuttle drills — back-and-forth bursts that often are a better indication of quickness.

"But, really, what he has to do is the same thing he did in the Fiesta Bowl on that interception. That’s the kind of play he needs to make," said Brandt, referring to the 2002 national championship game against Miami when Clarett stripped Hurricanes safety Sean Taylor of the ball after an interception.

Big plays, a sculpted body and fast 40 time won’t be enough, however, to make the NFL forget about Clarett’s apparent lack of wisdom when making decisions.

So Clarett must win over the NFL with his mind and his manners. The latter has never really been a problem.

"He came into our media room last year and did a wonderful job (at the combine)," Brandt said.

The more daunting task might be convincing NFL scouts and GMs that he can handle the mental rigors of a sport that can chop 300-pound men into hamburger.

"Normally, I would tell you that running the 40 is the most important part of the combine, but in this case I would say running the 40 and interviewing are equally important. He has to do both well," said Feldman, who also represents New England running back Corey Dillon.

"Maurice is like Corey in that everyone thought Corey was a bad guy. He’s not one. He was just in a bad situation. When he got into a good situation, the unsavory characteristics no longer existed.

"And I think Maurice has grown up over the last year. He sees a few more trees in the forest than he saw before and realizes he has to go to the National Football League with his fingers crossed. Talk is cheap. We have to perform. But I will say that he will be the most personable, accommodating athlete the combine has ever seen."

If so, then Clarett’s second chance might save his career.

"He’ll be interviewed, and there will be psychological testing," Brandt said. "If the guy is truthful and doesn’t try to con anybody, then they’ll say, ‘The guy is entitled to a mistake and you can’t judge him on one mistake. He’s ready to turn his life around.’ "

He’d better be.

"The kid can still salvage his career," Marrow said, "but he needs to buckle down and say, ‘The world doesn’t revolve around me.’ "

roller@dispatch.com