Terrelle Pryor’s Draft Status Is in Limbo
So, disgraced Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor might not be heading to the NFL right away after all.
Pryor may not qualify for the supplemental draft this summer, which means he would then have to wait until next April’s draft to be eligible to play in the NFL, according to Foxsports.com. Though Pryor was clearly in trouble for taking illegal payments and gifts while playing for the Buckeyes, his circumstances may not quite cut it for the “unforeseen” changes requirement to be eligible for the supplemental draft.
If Pryor had been kicked off the football team or declared ineligible then he would have a leg to stand on. But Pryor actually left school during the spring once head coach Jim Tressel stepped down in part because of the actions of his star quarterback.
“In the best interests of my teammates, I’ve made the decision to forgo my senior year of football at the Ohio State University,” Pryor said in a released statement after he left Ohio State in the spring.
What is interesting is if Pryor had perhaps waited a few weeks, he likely would have lost his eligibility as more details of his illegal actions came out. Pryor and some of his teammates were suspended for the first five games of the upcoming season after it was revealed they exchanged memorabilia for tattoos. But since then we have learned Pryor may have accepted cash and other gifts for his signature.
Pryor certainly isn’t eligible to return to school now after he hired an agent. But it will be interesting to see how the NFL interprets what likely would have been his fate once the NCAA learns of impermissible actions while he was a student athlete at Ohio State.
Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris
(Photo: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)