Under the Lights and Under Scrutiny: The Terrelle Pryor Saga

This is a story about the dark side of recruiting, a story about an 18-year-old kid making the biggest decision of his life, only it doesn’t really seem like it’s his decision anymore.  

This is a story about four universities wooing that young player, each trying to lure him to their respective campus.  Millions of people across the country differ in their opinions of this player’s situation, though most have never met him.  This is the story of Terrelle Pryor.
 
To say that there aren’t many athletes possessing Pryor’s natural gifts is an understatement.  

He is a top-30 caliber player nationally in both football and basketball, and can race down both surfaces with a 4.4 second 40-yard dash.  Football coaches have projected him at any number of positions, from wide receiver to offensive tight end to virtually every skill position on defense.

The Jeannette, PA native’s skill set is so rare that it is debated whether he would be better suited to play safety, given his ability to cover so much ground, or defensive end, given his huge frame.  Pryor decided long ago, however, that he would play quarterback in college, leading to a feeding frenzy among programs likening him to Vince Young.  

Now, over a year since he was named Rivals.com National Junior of the Year and a week since National Signing Day, Pryor remains unsigned, still deciding between four of those teams: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Oregon.

While he has until early April to make a final decision, the spotlight intensifies with each passing day, and what was once The Terrelle Pryor recruitment is now The Terrelle Pryor Saga.  He is now portrayed as a prima donna, just another punk kid soaking up way more than his allotted 15 minutes and milking the limelight for all it’s worth.
 
Of course, the naysayers don’t actually know Terrelle Pryor.  Most don’t realize that the decision making process is complicated for this recruit as he, unlike most prospects, has not had the time to make his five allotted official visits.  The day after he took his high school football team to a state title, he jumped right into basketball season.  

It seems no one understands the pressure he is under.  

As the last fish left in the 2008 recruiting class pond, Pryor is bombarded ever more heavily with pitches. 

Jim Tressel and Rich Rodriguez are stalking him at basketball games and Joe Paterno’s Penn State staff has virtually set up shop in his living room.  The young player has literally nowhere to run and only constant attention to face.

Making matters worse for Terrelle Pryor is, well, Terrelle Pryor.  As his high school coach, Ray Reitz, said, “Terrelle could run for governor…he doesn’t like to tell people ‘No.’”

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