Nigel Clay's Life After Prison

TL;DR

Tulsa World column covers former OU football player Nigel Clay's post-prison life playing at Central State (Ohio).
Central State beat Northeastern State 37-7 in the NAIA Division I national championship game on December 2, 1995.
Reunion of infamous ex-Sooners like Clay and Bernard Hall shows second chances in smaller college football.[[1]](https://tulsaworld.com/archive/article_41ef5766-8d3a-5fe2-9a0b-201766adb36e.html)[[2]](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1995/12/01/ex-sooners-thrive-at-central-ohio/62371886007)

The story at a glance

Tulsa World sports columnist Bill Haisten reports on Nigel Clay, a former University of Oklahoma offensive lineman convicted of rape in 1989 and released after prison, now playing for Central State of Ohio. The article notes a reunion of former Sooners after Central State's 37-7 win over Northeastern State in the NAIA Division I football championship. It comes right after the December 2, 1995, game in Tahlequah, spotlighting ex-players' fresh starts at the NAIA level.[[1]](https://tulsaworld.com/archive/article_41ef5766-8d3a-5fe2-9a0b-201766adb36e.html)[[3]](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1995/12/03/nsu-routed-in-naia-finale/62371656007)

Key points

Nigel Clay, ex-OU Sooner offensive tackle from Fontana, Calif., served about four years of a 10-year rape sentence before release around 1993-1994.
Clay resumed football at Central State University (Ohio), an NAIA powerhouse, contributing on the offensive line in their title game.[[2]](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1995/12/01/ex-sooners-thrive-at-central-ohio/62371886007)[[4]](https://goriverhawksgo.com/sports/football/stats/1995/central-state/boxscore/5506)
Central State Marauders defeated Northeastern State RiverHawks 37-7 to claim their third NAIA Division I championship in six years.
Reunion involved other infamous ex-Sooners, including Bernard Hall, who also played at Central State after prison.[[1]](https://tulsaworld.com/archive/article_41ef5766-8d3a-5fe2-9a0b-201766adb36e.html)
Coach at Central State took ex-players at face value, giving second chances despite their OU scandal history.[[2]](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1995/12/01/ex-sooners-thrive-at-central-ohio/62371886007)

Details and context

Clay and Hall were convicted in November 1989 of first-degree rape of a 20-year-old woman in an OU athletic dorm; a third player, Glen Bell, was acquitted. Both received 10-year sentences and $10,000 fines but served roughly half before parole. OU dismissed them from the team amid broader program scandals under coach Barry Switzer.[[5]](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-23-sp-239-story.html)[[6]](https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/23/sports/sports-people-college-football-2-sentenced-in-rape.html)

Central State, a historically Black university in Wilberforce, Ohio, built a dynasty with NAIA titles in 1990, 1992, and 1995, often using transfers like the ex-Sooners. Northeastern State, from Tahlequah, Okla., was the defending champ but got outmanned in the final.[[7]](https://chicagocrusader.com/central-state-university-won-three-national-championships-in-the-90s)[[3]](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1995/12/03/nsu-routed-in-naia-finale/62371656007)

The piece highlights redemption through sports at a lower level, away from big-time scrutiny.

Key quotes

Omitted; no direct quotes from the original article reliably available.

Why it matters

This story captures how small-college programs like Central State offered lifelines to athletes derailed by major-college scandals. For players like Clay, it meant a shot at normalcy and competition post-prison; fans saw ex-Sooners contribute to NAIA success. Watch if similar transfers resurface in lower divisions, though details on Clay's later path remain sparse.[[2]](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1995/12/01/ex-sooners-thrive-at-central-ohio/62371886007)