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Pryor & ESPN--Mike Madden Article

Written by JEH45
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
{mosimage}Rumor of the day is ESPN asked Terrelle Pryor to delay his committment so that ESPN could followup their signing day show with a special devoted to the recruitment of TP. This writer doesn't believe it, but continuing with the theme that everything Terrelle Pryor is, does, might do, or may think about is news, we throw out the following story. MONDAY MADDEN: Wake me up when Pryor makes up his mind Football star recruit Terrelle Pryor and Jeannette will play Center in the next round of the WPIAL Class AA basketball playoffs. (AP photo) By Mark Madden, Special to The Times Published: Monday, February 11, 2008 3:31 PM EST As you read this, Jeannette High School mega-quarterback Terrelle Pryor may have picked a college. Or not. Who cares? College recruiting is a sleazy, demeaning exercise. Teenage kids are treated like commodities, entering a world where — once they reach an initial decision verbally – they are endlessly badgered by adults to renege. Then, as they finally sign on the dotted line, the very best have their egos blown out of proportion even further by appearing on ESPN. In Pryor’s case, he didn’t even have to sign to appear on ESPN. Pryor held a press conference to announce he hadn’t decided. Rumor holds that ESPN asked Pryor to delay his decision so the Worldwide Leader could follow their Letter of Intent Day extravaganza with a future extravaganza dedicated solely to Pryor’s choice. It seems far-fetched, but not unbelievable. Sports Illustrated called Pryor’s announcement “the most anticipated in history.” Most historians would probably pick V-J Day, but Hirohito had a lousy time in the 40. When Pryor announced on Letter of Intent Day that he had no announcement, he said, “I haven’t had that much time to get involved in the recruiting process.” Considering the life ramifications of Pryor’s decision — forget the free education, Pryor’s most pressing need is to pick the surest path to the NFL — that statement seems ludicrous. What could possibly have distracted Pryor from being “involved in the recruiting process?” What could possibly have been more important? I would never deny Pryor the right to make an important decision at his own pace. But announcing that he has no announcement officially makes Pryor annoying. That’s a harsh description of a high school kid. But if you want to be a rock star, you leave the loophole of youth behind. Pryor’s choice is certainly a tough one. Oregon seems the best bet when it comes to training Pryor for the pros, but his wheelchair-bound father would find traveling that far on a frequent basis very difficult. Ohio State is very close and a safe decision football-wise. Penn State doesn’t produce NFL quarterbacks. The spread option offense Rich Rodriguez will install at Michigan doesn’t produce NFL quarterbacks. Pryor should rule out those schools. Pryor has won nearly every accolade a high school football player can, including the Parade Magazine National Player of the Year. The last four recipients of that award, however, are currently totally invisible. The possibility exists that Pryor is as overrated as they were. There are concerns about his arm strength. He played Class AA football. If he doesn’t throw to his first read, Pryor tends to run the ball, and college football isn’t that simple, let alone the NFL. Even his quickness has been questioned. Bill Urbanik, a former NFL and college assistant coach who analyzes players for Takkle.com, called Pryor “a glamour guy who’s overrated. He’ll be good but not great. Put him in Texas or California and he’d be pretty good, but not No. 1 in the country.” Takkle.com rates Pryor the No. 16 recruit in the country. There’s no denying Pryor’s accomplishments, however. He’s the only Pennsylvania prep player to top 4,000 yards passing and 4,000 yards rushing on his career. He was Most Valuable Player in the U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio last month, which diffuses the “small school” criticism. Scouts.com and Rivals.com both rate him the nation’s No. 1 recruit. But is Pryor really better than Dan Marino was at Pittsburgh Central Catholic? Better than Bill Fralic was at Penn Hills? Better than Brian Davis was at Washington? Better than LaVar Arrington was at North Hills? I’ve had limited exposure to Pryor, but I saw all those players, and I just don’t think Pryor is in their class. I know one thing for sure: Those players all handled recruiting better. They may have enjoyed the spotlight, but they certainly didn’t milk it dry. Pryor went to bed this past Tuesday thinking he would choose Ohio State. When he awoke, he had reconsidered. Oregon and Penn State were now in the mix along with Ohio State and Michigan. What could possibly have happened to Pryor while he slept that changed his mind? What, exactly, did he dream? In that vein, wake me when it’s over. Mark Madden hosts a sports talk show 3-7 p.m. weekdays on ESPN Radio 1250. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Trackback(0) TrackBack URI for this entry Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Website Title Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 February 2008 )