Terrelle Pryor will have an opportunity to pursue his NFL dreams, with one significant caveat: The former Ohio State star must still pay for breaking NCAA rules while he was in college.
The league announced Thursday that Pryor is eligible for its supplemental draft, but he won’t be allowed to practice for the team that selects him until Week 6. Pryor gave up his final season with the Buckeyes following an investigation into the team’s memorabilia-for-cash scandal. He would have had to sit out five games had he chosen to return to Ohio State.
“We accept that voluntarily,” Pryor’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said. “It’s a small price to pay for him to have a chance to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.”
The league hopes the decision will dissuade future college players who run afoul of the NCAA from trying to use the NFL as a means of escaping punishment.
Other players eligible for Monday’s supplemental draft are defensive backs Torez Jones of Western Carolina and Tracy Wilson of Northern Illinois, defensive ends Keenan Mace of Lindenwood and Mike McAdoo of North Carolina and running back Caleb King of Georgia.
The Associated Press
