WWWFNYD? – Carlos Santana
June 7, 2011While We’re Waiting… Marecic for Real, Tribe Draft and NFL Short Season?
June 8, 2011
If the landscape of Ohio State football wasn’t going to be different enough with Jim Tressel gone from the sidelines, then how about the exit of what could be the highest profile recruit in Ohio State history? Terrelle Pryor is forgoing his senior season.
According to Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Pryor is reportedly leaving the team with his teammates in mind according to Pryor’s attorney, Larry James.
“In the best interest of my teammates, I have decided to forego my senior year of football at the Ohio State University,” James said, reading a statement on behalf of his client.
James said Pryor had been considering this option for several days and made the choice this evening, leaving James’ office in Columbus just before 6 p.m.
Regardless of how you feel about Pryor at this point, it is hard to disagree with this decision. Pryor might have ended up riding out his existing five game suspension with the chance of playing this season at Ohio State. The distractions along the way would have been nearly impossible for any human to bear if Jim Tressel’s experience over the last few months is any indication.
So now Pryor can get on with his life. If that means the NFL’s supplemental draft, the Canadian Football League or continuing his football education with private coaches, so be it. The way this has all gone down with his coach and all the additional scrutiny from seemingly everywhere, it is hard to imagine it could have gone any other way for Pryor.
So that is two shoes that have dropped. We’ll see if there are any left in the coming weeks and months.
For more on Pryor click below.
Blaming Terrelle Pryor is Misguided
Terrelle Pryor and “The Apology”
Terrelle Pryor’s Attorney: “if he was drowning, I’m not sure how many people would want him to live”
19 Comments
Good, get out.
Craig, I agree completely. Pryor’s decision is a rare moment of sanity in this whole six-month circus.
Terrelle, thanks for coming. Drive home safely.
Lebron in cleats indeed
Don’t forget to take the other four with you when you go. Million dollar talent, ten cent head.
Oh, and you might want to learn how to play WR or TE real soon, cause you are NOT an NFL caliber QB.
I agree that it’s the smart decision, and I hope that he does well wherever he ends up.
He did quite well on the field, and I think the team will be lesser without him on the field this year. I don’t see any reason to hold resentment. Nothing viable can come from that.
#ConstructiveSummer2k11
resentment is how many people deal with the the reality of the next few seasons. it’s not truly fair to pryor as it was obviously not just him or the tattoo-5, but it is what it is. as long as noone acts on those feelings of resentment towards these guys (other than posting some comments on a message board), I’m okay with it.
i don’t feel any resentment myself though. i do with LeBron, but I just feel dirty about college football in general lately (letting Cam Newton play and reversing their stance on the Reggie Bush case to do it because they didn’t make their $$$ on him yet), so I’m not going to let a few college kids that saved some money on tattoos and cars make me feel any worse about the fact that the Buckeye program is going to be in a dark place the next few years.
Pryor had a hell of an OSU career, nobody can deny that. But even with all that, the guy’s just not worth the trouble. I was officially done with him when the initial allegations came out prior to the Sugar Bowl; I was completely ready for him to leave OSU. Today, I got my wish.
I hope for Terrelle’s success going forward. But even moreso, I hope he matures and learns to make better decisions.
I blame him for all that has happened – fairly or not. He’s been a cancer.
I’m not sure I blame him for ALL that has happened, but his actions toppled the first domino that has led us to this point. To be fair, Tressel had a chance to step up and handle this correctly from the beginning and he failed as well. There is enough blame to go around, but it all starts with the tatoos and Pryor & Co. violating rules that they certainly knew.
My reason this is the best move is we don’t have to worry about 1 of the 3 QBs on the roster possibly doing a good job but looking over their shoulder @ Pryor taking over the starting spot after his suspension. Now the QB competition can go on with the winner knowing if he plays well he’ll probably have the job for the year.
And since this can realistically be looked at as a “lost” year (with bowl sanctions probably coming) Why not let Braxton Miller use the year as learning on the job? Who knows, he may be as sold & can get the job done.
Good riddance.
Seriously, from the moment of his first press conference announcing his decision was TBD, to now as he leaves Ohio State, TP has been a distraction from what has made football at Ohio State great.
I just hope that The Ohio State University uses this as a solid lesson and a harsh reminder that when one individual becomes bigger than the program, dire consequences often follow.
Actually, I can think of about 5 things Pryor could have done differently if he really cared about the best interests of his teammates. I feel no ill-will towards him though, I’m just glad he’s gone.
So that SI article named 28 total players who received tats for memorabilia. Right? 15 of which were on the roster last season. I think it’s fair to say that Pryor was the ringleader.
I hold resentment…
To the NCAA and their hypocritical system, and I have felt this way long before any allegations came out.
You might as well put a bunch of guys in a strip club and fine them every time they look at a boobie.
Well hey, at least he has some permanent markings on his body to commemorate his time (and exit).
“I just hope that The Ohio State University uses this as a solid lesson and a harsh reminder that when one individual becomes bigger than the program, dire consequences often follow.”
The only individual who was bigger than the program was Tressel. The dire consequences will be brought about because of him, with some help from the compliance department and Gene Smith. Your response reminds of me this article: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-wetzel_focus_should_be_on_osu_big_ten_brass_not_pryor_060111
Pryor royally screwed up, no doubt about it, but Ohio St is in the position it is now because the higher-ups couldn’t be counted on to do their job.
Sure…why not?
Why should he stick around and accept the punishment for his actions?
He took improper benefits.
He promised to return for his senior season and sit out his suspension in exchange for playing in the Sugar Bowl.
He hit the road when the heat turned up and his coach took the fall for his actions.
Lesson learned…
/washes hands clean
Pryor is a lot like LeQuit…a TON of the same “make up” and entitlement that people blame on “the system”. Listen to what Colt McCoy’s wife had to say yesterday – these guys are put up on pedastals. It does NOT mean they have to get involved if they know it is wrong. Colt stayed away from shady stuff. Then there is attitude and being a freakin’ human being. Pryor…he would not even TALK to the other QB’s that were following coaches orders in trying to help Pryor when he took over during his freshman year and that carried over. LeQuit…he (now, think about this) NEVER spoke to Joe Tait, the ENTIRE time he was playing for the Cav’s. Tait had earned respect and I think EVERYONE knows is a GREAT human being. UNBELIEVEABLE! Maybe time to STOP putting these people up so high and see how they do…
Finally, maybe it is time tp pull the curtain back and let all of us know exactly what has been going on as it seems like it will eventually just come out anyway. No more “covering” for the star players so they eventually bite off the hand that feeds them…to ignorant to know any better or more likely, just plain don’t give a!
As glad as I am that Pryor is gone, in NO WAY does it absolve Tressel of the mistakes he made. Tressel is just as complicit in all of this as Pryor. Him being the only adult in the situattion makes him look even worse..