OMAHA, Neb. — Wearing the same No. 13 he wore so well as an Ohio State freshman eight years ago, Maurice Clarett began his bid to return to football Monday night on a high school field where the minor-league Omaha Nighthawks practiced before a handful of onlookers.

Clarett signed a one-year contract with the United Football League team earlier in the day after meeting with team officials and UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue, who gave his blessing.

It was Clarett’s first football activity since he was a bust with the Denver Broncos and spent 3 1/2 years in prison for having a hidden gun and holding up two people outside a Columbus, Ohio, bar, in 2006.

“I am humbled by the opportunity the Omaha Nighthawks have given me and will dedicate myself on and off the field to prove that I can be a valuable member of the team and the Omaha community,” Clarett said in a statement. “I am committed to working hard to earn the right for a second chance in football and more importantly in life.”