The NFL declared Terrelle Pryor eligible for the Aug. 22 supplemental draft on Thursday, but the former Ohio State quarterback’s mistakes still cost him. Pryor will have to miss five games if he signs a contract. He will be able to play in preseason games but will not be fully available until Week 6. He had an NCAA suspension for the first five games if he returned to the Buckeyes. He then hired an agent in violation of NCAA rules.
His decisions undermined “the integrity of the eligibility rules for the NFL Draft,” the league stated. The NFL’s decision caused Pryor’s agent, David Cornwell, to express frustration.
“I hope this causes everyone to pause and conclude that we must challenge the NCAA on its ‘amateurism’ rules,” Cornwell told ESPN. “Terrelle is going to the NFL because the NCAA mandated that he feed their families but he could not feed his own.”
While this was deemed a specific case, it begs the question: Should players’ NCAA pasts be weighed so heavily, particularly in a time when so many athletes and schools are under scrutiny?
– Scott Gleeson
