Terrelle Pryor: Why Michael Vick Should Tutor the Former Ohio State Star

Terrelle Pryor looks set to enter the NFL through the Supplemental draft after the abrupt ending to his college career that included a  2010 Rose Bowl MVP.

After coming out of High School as one of ESPN's highest ranked prospects, Pryor wound up at Ohio State where he became the full time starter for his sophomore season. Pryor was one of the most athletic players at the college level which made him a dual threat quarterback who amassed 74 total touchdowns in three years at Ohio State.

Now Pryor must find his way to the NFL through the Supplemental draft after multiple NCAA violations that are under investigation. Pryor's athleticism will cause a professional team to acquire his services at some point during the Supplemental draft. He will be entering a league that has recently revived the notion that mobile quarterbacks can succeed in the NFL.

The drafting of the athletic Tim Tebow was preceded by a pair of Steelers' Super Bowls that were earned on the back of Ben Roethlisberger's ability to make defenders miss in his school yard style of play. Others such as David Garrard and Donovan McNabb had been doing it for a few years also but last season returned the master of the mobile quarterback to the NFL.

Michael Vick may have entered the NFL in a very different way to Terrelle Pryor in 2001 as the first overall pick of the draft. However his return to the NFL came in controversial circumstances in 2009. Michael Vick may share similarities on the field to Terrelle Pryor in that they are both dual threat quarterbacks but this is irrelevant as far as Vick becoming his tutor.

The similarities that should make Vick reach out to Pryor come off the field. Vick faced similar scrutiny during his return to the NFL to that which Pryor is/will face as he looks to enter the league this year.

Most rookies do not become starters during their first seasons in the league, especially at the quarterback position. However top college talent, or first round picks, are generally expected to show something in their first season. Some players are even expected to start from day one.

Not many supplemental draft prospects face that pressure but Terrelle Pryor will feel that he needs to perform instantly to overcome the issues that surround his transition to the NFL. Pryor was a huge star on campus at Ohio State, for any rookie it is difficult to transition from the main star to an afterthought with his new team. Pryor comes from an organization that has bred him on the idea that if he performs well on the field his off the field problems will be overlooked.

This is exactly the opposite of what Terrelle Pryor needs to do.

Many people may have forgotten that Michael Vick was actually in his second season last year. Vick set the perfect example for Pryor by not drawing attention to himself during his first season back in the league in 2009. He saw little playing time while concentrating on community work off the field.

Vick rebuilt his image in order to eventually save his football career. He did so through such means as giving speeches to young people to explain where he went wrong. While Pryor does not need to rebuild his image to this degree—there is no comparison between getting a free tattoo and being involved with dog fighting—he does need to change the aura that currently surrounds him.

Taking an active role in the community surrounding the team that picks him up will be vital to changing how he is perceived by the public. Michael Vick did this expertly and has continued to do so to this day. Pryor is more likely to listen to an NFL star like Vick rather than a plethora of suited advisors or agents.

Even if Pryor doesn't get involved with community projects or aggressively attack his image issues, he could simply learn from Vick how to get out of the spotlight to focus on football.

Vick will be able to preach patience to the 21 year old who is used to being the center of attention. The Philadelphia Eagle never once complained or drew attention to himself during his rookie season. He has continued in that form since becoming the team's starter with excellent public presentation.

While Michael Vick was the most exciting player in the NFL during the early parts of the last decade, Terrelle Pryor was a teenager in Pennsylvania. It would be presumptuous to call him a Michael Vick fan simply because of timing. However to assume that Pryor would have amassed a respect for the man who was the best in the world at doing what he did on a football field makes sense.

Vick has turned his own tarnished, scrutinized image into that of a man preaching a new way of life after earning a second chance. Terrelle Pryor hasn't had his first chance yet in the NFL as of yet.

With Michael Vick's help, he won't need a second.

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