Pryor Declared eligible for NFL’s Supplementary Draft; suspended five games

Terrelle Pryor, the disgraced former Ohio State quarterback, was declared eligible for the NFL’s Supplementary Draft, to be held on Monday, August 22nd.

Pryor admitted to receiving improper benefits at Ohio State. In December, after a drug raid on a tattoo parlor, memorabilia was found connecting Ohio State players to the shop. Pryor was found to be one of five players that sold memorabilia to the tattoo parlor in exchange for tattoos. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith stated plainly “As a student-athlete, you’re not allowed to use your persona to get discounted services,” and Pryor was ordered to repay $2,500 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring, 2009 Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award, 2008 Gold Pants, a trinket given to Ohio State players that beat archrival Michigan. Not long after, Pryor and his teammates signed an agreement stating all would submit to a five-game suspension in 2011, so that they could play in the 2010 Sugar Bowl.

But Pryor’s issues were just beginning to grow.

In May, coach Jim Tressel was forced to resign after it was discovered that he lied about having knowledge of the player’s connection to the tattoo shop as far as eight months prior to the school learning of the allegations. The NCAA then began a major inquiry into Pryor, suspecting that the half dozen or so cars that Pryor was seen driving since arriving on campus were gained through illegitimate means, especially egregious in many fans eyes, was that Pryor drove a sports car to a team meeting just hours after Tressel’s forced resignation.

Pryor then signed with mega-agent Drew Rosenhaus and left Ohio State. The NFL, who were non-committal on Pryor’s eligibility for the Supplemental Draft as recently as this week, decided to allow Pryor to enter the draft, with a few stipulations. Because Pryor, as the NFL said, made “decisions that undermin(ded) the integrity of the eligibility rules for the NFL Draft,” he would be suspended for the first five games in 2011. To put that in perspective, Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger, who was allegedly involved in two incidents of sexual assault last year, was only suspended for the first four games of 2010.

Pryor’s lawyer, David Cornwell, said in a statement to ESPN Radio Friday that the player will appeal the suspension after the Supplemental Draft. The real question is, will teams think so highly of Pryor’s athletic prowess that they can’t resist, or will they turn their back on an athlete that’s proven to be entitled, selfish and dishonest?

My guess? Expect to see a team take a chance on Pryor. After all, Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones is still in the league.

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