Friday, June 10, 2011

Pryor not interested in CFL, focused on NFL

Terrelle Pryor is not interested in playing in the Canadian Football League and is focused on the opportunity to be included in the NFL's supplemental draft, Larry James, his attorney, said Thursday.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders own the CFL negotiating rights to Pryor and had extended him a tentative offer.

"They sent the package last night, I forwarded it to Terrelle and Terrelle said that he wasn't interested today," James said.

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Asked if Pryor gave him a reason for his lack of interest in the Roughriders, James said: "He did not go into discussion. He just said he's not interested in the Canadian Football League. Obviously the offer was not sufficient to whet his taste buds."

James told ESPN's Joe Schad that he believes Ohio State will provide a letter that will show Pryor would not have been an eligible student-athlete moving forward, which should help Pryor in his cause to be eligible for the supplemental draft due to special circumstances.

Despite the NFL's labor uncertainty, sources at the NFL told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and ESPN.com's John Clayton that the league believes it can hold a supplemental draft.

"If there are players that apply and are deemed eligible, there will be a supplemental draft," a league source told Schefter. The supplemental draft, if needed, would be held sometime in July.

Teams submit picks to the league; the team with the highest bid receives the player, but loses the corresponding pick in the next year's draft in April.

Terrelle Pryor is destined to go down as one of the best quarterbacks in Ohio State history, despite the tattoo-parlor scandal that's overshadowing his exploits on the football field. Among his most notable milestones as a Buckeye are a 31-4 record as a starter, 2,164 career rushing yards and his role in leading Ohio State to three Big Ten titles.

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Pryor, a three-year starter for the Buckeyes, announced Tuesday that he would be giving up his senior season while the NCAA investigates Ohio State players getting improper benefits, including tattoos, cash and possible deals on cars. Pryor has admitted he broke NCAA rules by accepting improper benefits from a Columbus tattoo-parlor owner.

Pryor is focused on soon selecting a quarterback coach or trainer to work with in the near future, James said. George Whitfield has been mentioned as a possible tutor.

Whitfield, who worked with Newton before the NFL draft, said Newton and Pryor share a number of on-field traits.

"Cam Newton and Terrelle Pryor are comparable," Whitfield told ESPN. "Terrelle is a guy who is going to want to improve his mechanics and there's no evidence to suggest he can't. Cam seemed to have more confidence in his arm strength. But the tools and the ceiling for those two are comparable."

If Pryor's application for the supplemental draft isn't accepted, the United Football League might provide him with a temporary home.

A well-placed UFL source told Schefter Wednesday that Pryor would benefit from the coaching in the league, which includes high-profile former NFL coaches Marty Schottenheimer, Dennis Green, Jim Fassel and Jerry Glanville. The source said he believes there's "a decent shot" Pryor could wind up playing this year in the UFL.

Any player who signs with the UFL must remain in the league for the entire season before signing with an NFL team. The UFL will announce its schedule Thursday.

ESPN has dedicated 2011 to examining one of the most crucial positions in all of sports -- the quarterback.
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Michael Huyghue, the UFL's commissioner, told the Las Vegas Review Journal Wednesday that his league would have a spot available for Pryor.

"We would just place him in the best situation," Huyghue told the newspaper. "For us, Terrelle Pryor can be a great opportunity. There's the question that, at 6 feet 6, is he a quarterback? Is he a wide receiver? He can get a chance in our league to see where his future is. Plus, we have coaches in this league who know how to develop quarterbacks."

In other news, James also said that Pryor will no longer cooperate with NCAA investigators looking into Ohio State's football program, ex-players and current players.

"He doesn't need a reason (to talk to them). He's no longer a student-athlete," said James, who added that Pryor doesn't believe he owes the NCAA any answers. "They're not going to give him or any other student-athlete any due process rights to speak of, so he's moved on."

James said he is "100 percent certain" that at least eight of the nine current additional players mentioned in a Sports Illustrated report who are alleged to have sold autographs or memorabilia to a tattoo shop owner will be cleared. There is some uncertainty about the ninth.

James said he has collected the key memorabilia that those players have gathered, such as Big Ten title rings and Gold Pants Awards. James added that he would "not be surprised" if some of the players already suspended and/or others have been or soon will be re-interviewed by the NCAA to answer questions related to newer allegations.

An Ohio State spokesman, when asked for comment, replied: "The university has an active investigation with the NCAA and we will work cooperatively with them until the matter is resolved. Until then, we won't be discussing details of the case. You should rest assured that any new allegations that come to light will be addressed."

Information from ESPN college football reporter Joe Schad, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton and The Associated Press was used in this report.


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