Posted on: Saturday, February 7, 2004

March 1 draft deadline for prep players

Associated Press

Want to play in the NFL? It's signup time for high school players and newly eligible college underclassmen.

A day after a federal judge struck down the league's rule limiting the draft to players at least three years out of high school, the NFL set a March 1 deadline for those covered to apply for this year's draft.

As part of the new rules issued yesterday to comply with the decision, the newly eligible players must obtain a form from the NFL.

The March 1 date does not apply to players previously eligible to apply for the draft — they had a Jan. 15 deadline.

Players who became eligible because of Thursday's decision in the case of former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett must apply for the draft by Feb. 15 to be considered for invitations to the scouting combine, which starts Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

The league notified U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin yesterday that it would file papers Tuesday seeking a stay of her decision, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. The NFL's new draft rules apply only if the Clarett decision remains in force.