Finally, Buckeyes land Pryor

Another phenom recruit from Pennsylvania eludes Joe Paterno
By Gorden Blain
Jeannette quarterback Terrelle Pryor ended his protracted recruiting suspense at noon today when he announced that he will play college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

At a news conference at Jeannette High School televised live on ESPN news channel, Pryor said he chose the Buckeyes over Michigan, Penn State and Oregon.

Pryor (6-6, 230) had delayed his announcement since the February 6 national signing day when he had planned to make his decision known. But that day at his news conference he postponed announcing his decision, saying then that he wanted to take more time to give more consideration to his four final choices, in particular Penn State and Oregon.

Today he gave all indications that his decision, essentially, was between Ohio State and Michigan. The Buckeyes were the frontrunner all along. He had indicated over the weekend that he had narrowed his list of teams under consideration to two but wouldn’t name the two.

He gave Michigan’s new coach Rich Rodriguez, who had first recruited him at West Virginia before taking the job at Ann Arbor, the bad news this morning.

And, despite delaying the announcement of his decision until after the basketball season ended this past weekend, Pryor gave all indications that he never really changed his mind about Penn State either.

He said he ruled out Penn State because of its location. He made that clear this past Saturday after he led the Jayhawks to a 76-72 overtime win over Strawberry Mansion to capture the PIAA State AA basketball championship, ironically, at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center.

“It’s like country here,” he said on Saturday. “I don’t really dig it.”

And when asked for specifics on his perspective, he declined to elaborate.

“I’m not going to get into all of that,” he said. “Penn State is a good school, good coaches, all of that. I feel comfortable. I’ve already been there. I’ve come here so many times. Been around the campus. Been to parties. We’ll see how it works out.

He repeated that again today.

“I don’t like the area,” he said. “I just don’t like that place.”

Clearly, all along, Ohio State was his pick. He’s plugged into the Buckeyes and how he fits in. He also understands what his decision means to Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, whose Buckeyes have lost the last two BCS national championship games.

“The class of Ohio State is great,” he said today. “It’s a great class. You’ve got big time linemen. There’s three or four Top 100 linemen on there. That’s the guys who are protecting you. I have a good bond with them. Then you’ve got a couple other receivers coming in and a running back Lamaar Thomas, an athlete. Plus you’ve got a great defense coming back.

“We just want to work hard and do whatever we can to help Coach Tress to get over that little hump he’s got,“ Pryor said. “The little championship losing two years in a row. Trying to do whatever we can to get over that hump. I’m part of the class now and hopefully we can do that.”

Pryor’s high school sports career is unmatched in Pennsylvania. He is the only player ever to rush for 4,000 yards and pass for 4,000 yards in a career. He rushed for 4,238 yards and passed for 4,340 yards and produced 125 touchdowns by rushing and passing. As a basketball player, he scored 2,285 points. He led the Jayhawks to both the state AA football and basketball championships this year.

Here’s Pryor’s comments this past Saturday after the Jayhawks won the state basketball championship at Penn State:

Thoughts on winning state basketball championship:
“It’s my senior year, it’s exciting.

“Every kid that played with me, on my team, we’re so used to playing with each other, I just think that they should shine too. I pass the ball a lot. We make big plays. We’re a team. You see we can play any tempo. Whatever team comes against, we slow it down and ran our offense and came up with good shots.

Thoughts on playing last game:
“My legs, my knees are tired. I’ll have a week’s rest.

It’s high school. Who doesn’t want to go back to high school? It’s part of your life. A big part of it. I’m glad to get it over with but I wish it was still here. It’s over.

Thoughts on playing basketball and football in college:
You never know. I might come out and play basketball.

Thoughts on role basketball will influence decision on football:
None at all.

Thoughts on state championship game:
I was sticking to the big dude, number 14 (Strawberry Mansion‘s Devon White). He was doing all right. It was a big, physical Philadelphia team. They were scrappy as hell. They’re scrappy. They rebounded. Coach said, you’ve got to rebound. It’s the only way you’re going to win. That’s the keys to the games. Rebounding and taking care of the ball.

(Strawberry Mansion’s Dwayne Davis) He’s a real good athlete. He’s explosive. I don’t know what I did. I decided it was my senior year and I just need to play some defense. Get my hands up. Give him some kind of trouble. He’s a good talent. He’ll be great for Morehead (State).

We were just talking about it here, as soon as we walked into the locker room after the game, it feels like another win. It doesn‘t feel like we even won. Nothing. It sounds bad that we’re saying that. I don’t want you to think we’re cocky at all. I just seems like there’s something else. I don’t know what it is. It just seems like we did enough. Just move on. Seems like just another playoff game. Not a state championship. Just seems like another game.

Thoughts on missing free throws late in the game:
Let’s not talk about that.

Thoughts on taking last shot in regulation:
I wanted to get to the rack and I saw the big dude coming. I didn’t know if they were hitting me with a charge. I just thought I’d shoot a little runner. But I shot a airball. I wish I would have just pulled up for a jump shot. I think I would have fell away more. Taking it to the rack, that’s what I wanted to do.

Thoughts on teammate Shaw Sunder:
Shaw’s big time. D1 speed. He’s a big time player. They can put somebody weight on him. The jumper is there. Work on his ball handling. There you go. You’ve got a roll player who can hit the shot and drive whenever you need it.

Thoughts on football recruiting announcement and experience:
I’ll be deciding next week. That’s how I’m going to do it. Next week, I’m going to say the school I’m going to sign with and get it over with. (Next week I mean) This coming week.

It’s down to two schools. Can’t tell you (the two).

Sometimes it gets annoying but it’s just something you have to live up to. If you’re going to be that great of a talent, not trying to brag on myself, I think I’m pretty decent, the stuff I do. I enjoy it but also it’s also a headache sometimes, but it’s something you’ve got to do.

A lot of our local media, they’ve been putting in other kids’ pictures, that helps a lot too. Not putting my picture in paper. That shows that they’re not always focused on me. The local media did a great job with that.

I’m at Penn State’s place. I expect (attention from fans). It’s like country here. I don’t really dig it… I’m not going to get into all of that. Penn State is a good school, good coaches, all of that…I feel comfortable. I’ve already been there. I’ve come here so many times. Been around the campus. Been to parties. We’ll see how it works out.

It’s a big time college arena (Bryce Jordan Center). I played at Duquesne. It’s nothing like that. This place is all shiny, shined up. That’s my first time. The stage is bright.

I’m just one of thousands of kids that got to do this. I’m just another kid that’s got to deal with the same thing that other kids have to deal with. I’ve got to do the same thing, if you understand what I mean.

(Recruiting announcement) is up to our principal. I don’t know if he wants to do it. It was crazy. It was a zoo in there. That’s how he felt. I think he’s mad because I didn’t choose. It’s not up to him.

I think I should have looked into the schools a little earlier. Just getting to know all of these college coaches. Get a friendship, relationship with them, it’s hard to tell them no. That’s how I am. It’s hard to tell them No. Eventually, I’ve got to do. That’s the only thing that I regret.

(The coaches) don’t know yet. They don’t know who it is. I’m sure they will agree with my mind. Hopefully, they will respect my decision.

Thoughts on high school career:
It was a good ride. It was fun. Fun playing for Coach Reitz in football and fun for playing for Coach Nesser in basketball.

Community is happy. They come to every game. People are starting to meet people they haven’t met because they started coming to the games. It’s bringing everybody together and that’s big time, big thing.

That’s great (that there‘s no more practices or games). Just go home from school. Just relax, kick back.