On the morning of December 22, 2010, Ohio State University was a model of consistency in college football. They were the program in the Big 10 that the rest of the conference wanted to be like. Widely resented in some areas for their success, the Buckeyes continued to win on a regular basis and produce NFL-caliber talent at a number of positions. Little did the current members of the team know that a news story later that day would change the program forever and tarnish its reputation. Several players had reportedly received tattoos in exchange for autographs or been given a discount on tattoos. Either way, the most recognizable name of the group was the star quarterback himself, Terrelle Pryor.
In the wake of this report, people were immediately calling for all players to be suspended for the upcoming Sugar Bowl against Arkansas. Instead, the next day, it was ruled that 5 players including Pryor would be suspended for the first 5 games of the 2011 season for accepting improper benefits. This included the selling of memorabilia such as jerseys, pants and rings. At first, it seemed a little bit like the players would just serve the suspension and all would be forgotten. However, a later report found that Head Coach Jim Tressel was aware of the benefits dating back to April 2010 and had failed to notify the NCAA about them. This meant a 2 game suspension and a measurable fine, but just 9 days later, Tressel asked the University to make his suspension equal in length to those of his players. That event would create a domino effect which led to Tressel's resignation. A few of those events included the NCAA accusing Tressel of keeping information from them in order to ensure that his players remain on the field, despite the fact that some may have been ineligible.
Just a week later, Terrelle Pryor followed the same path as his coach and announced his plan to withdraw from the University. Given that the NFL was in a lockout at the time and the draft had passed, it appeared as if Pryor was going to be forced to sit around and wait for some team to give him a shot. Then, a blessing in disguise occurred as Ohio St. banned their former golden child quarterback from any contact with the athletic program and also said that he was not allowed to even say a simple hello to a future recruit. The move by the University made Pryor eligible for the NFL Supplemental Draft, which finally occurred today after a postponement and he was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the 3rd round.
While today marks the first official day of his NFL career, it may seem like it is already dead to some and you can count me among them. Pryor was chosen by a franchise that has not truly developed a good quarterback since the 1970s when Ken Stabler roamed the Bay Area. I think we all know how their last attempt ended to develop a quarterback of the future in JaMarcus Russell who is quite possibly the biggest NFL Draft bust of all-time. Add his name to the list right alongside those of Marc Wilson, Todd Marinovich and Andrew Walter. My point being that, does anyone other than Al Davis himself trust this organization to develop Terrelle Pryor into a legitimate NFL quarterback? The Oakland Raiders seemingly have no direction, given their obsession with speed in recent drafts and constant chaos throughout all ranks of the franchise. Pryor did run a 4.36 40 yard dash on Saturday though which may have earned him a selection from the Silver and Black themselves. To me, the pick just does not make a whole lot of sense for a team that is clearly committed to Jason Campbell for at least this year and probably beyond given that the other quarterbacks on the roster, Trent Edwards and Kyle Boller do not inspire much confidence in Raiders fans or anyone for that matter. Pryor is already a step behind everyone else since training camp has already passed and his 5 game suspension certainly is not helping either. Those 2 red flags along with his questionable accuracy could really hurt the progression of his career. At a minimum, it looks like it will take at least 2-3 years before Pryor is ready to step on the gridiron and have a chance to win on a weekly basis.
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