Terrelle Pryor Will Play In The NFL After Serving Suspension

Terrelle Pryor had definitely had better years before he played with the Ohio Buckeyes last year. Of course he had already proved his worth, with 477 passes in 783 attempts, throwing 57 touchdowns, and running 17 touchdowns. So what went wrong? It was later in the year when Pryor found himself in the center of receiving illegal benefits from supporters of the team, after which the quarterback was then given a 5-game suspension. Pryor was prepared to fight the suspension, instead he is heading to the NFL where he could play with the big boys, and legally receive all those benefits.

But the NFL isn’t going to make it that easy for him. Along with his talent and his impressive stats, Pryor will also take the suspension with him to the NFL. Although he will be eligible to enter the NFL supplemental draft on August 21, 2011, he will not be allowed to play the first 5 games. Pryor will also not be allowed to practice with any team during the time of his suspension, although the NFL is going to allow him to play in preseason games.

So why is Pryor getting such a hefty penalty when others, such as Jeremy Jarmon, were allowed into the draft with no suspension, and after having similar or worse allegations following them? The NFL seems to be very clear about that, stating that Pryor “made decisions that undermine the integrity of the NFL draft.” Failure to cooperate with the Ohio State investigation was one of those bad decisions, as was hiring an agent while still at Ohio State, which is a direct violation of NCAA rules.

And although he’s undoubtedly happy to be given this second chance, Pryor obviously still has his questions about how fair the suspension actually is. When the penalty was first handed down, Pryor was prepared to fight it. However, after discussions with his management, Pryor has decided to accept the suspension that will allow him to begin his NFL career a year earlier than first thought.

Categorized in: NFL