FOOTBALL

CLARETT, WILLIAMS AMONG ELIGIBLE DRAFTEES

Former Ohio St. tailback Maurice Clarett and former USC receiver Mike Williams were among 49 underclassmen granted early entry into the NFL draft yesterday. Other prominent names included junior quarterbacks Utah’s Alex Smith and California’s Aaron Rodgers.

It’s been two long years for Clarett, who was suspended before his sophomore season at Ohio St. for NCAA violations. He initially won a ruling to enter the draft last year, but the decision was reversed by an appeals court. Williams, then a sophomore at USC, declared for the draft after the initial ruling. After the reversal, he was not allowed to return to the Trojans.

DOLPHINS HIRE LINEHAN AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Scott Linehan agreed to a three-year contract yesterday as offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. Linehan held the same job with the Minnesota Vikings for the past three seasons, overseeing one of the league’s best offenses. Now he takes over one of the league’s worst.

BASEBALL

JORDAN RETURNS TO BRAVES

Brian Jordan is returning to Atlanta in hopes of completing his career in the city where he starred for the Braves and the NFL’s Falcons.

Jordan, 37, agreed yesterday to a $600,000, one-year contract that allows him to earn an additional $400,000 in performance and roster bonuses. The outfielder has not played in more than 66 games since 2002.

BASKETBALL

ROCKETS SIGN VETERAN STRICKLAND

The Houston Rockets signed journeyman Rod Strickland yesterday. Strickland, a free agent, played last year with Orlando before forcing his release in March. He played the final month of the season with Toronto. The 38-year-old guard ranks seventh in NBA history with 7,948 assists and 19th with 1,613 steals.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

BOSTON COLLEGE SQUEAKS PAST VILLANOVA

Jared Dudley hit two free throws to give Boston College the lead with 5.5 seconds left and scored a career-high 36 points last night, helping the Eagles remain unbeaten with a 67-66 win over Villanova.

Craig Smith scored 12 and was the only other player in double figures for the ninth-ranked Eagles (15-0, 4-0 Big East), who remained one of four unbeaten teams in the country. Villanova (9-4, 2-3) held a 66-60 lead with two minutes left before being shut out down the stretch. The Wildcats were the beneficiaries of a shot-clock error in the final minute but failed to capitalize and lost for the third time in four games.

– Associated Press