Per the Dispatch:
Beleaguered Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has played his last game for the Buckeyes, his attorney told The Dispatch this afternoon.
“In the best interest of my teammates, I have made the decision to forego (sic) my senior year of football at The Ohio State University,” Pryor said in a prepared statement read by his attorney Larry James.
Asked whether Pryor — under investigation by the NCAA and Ohio State for possible more instances of receiving improper benefits — planned to apply for the NFL supplemental draft, James said, “I think so.
“But right now we are just dealing with the situation at hand, that he has decided to move on.”
Obviously we’ll have more as this develops, but the latest “rumor” floating around the Twitternet is that Terrelle Pryor made $20,000-$40,000 autographing memorabilia, according to a former friend who witnessed it. (via MKimESPNAmerica). That’s a pretty wild range of dollar amounts, Mr. Former Friend. And why are you a “former friend,” Mr. Former Friend?
So, just so we are crystal clear: sources that range from “convict” to “Ellis” (someone who won’t even own up to his own name) to “former friend” have done in one of the most successful coaches and quarterbacks at Ohio State.
Those are some solid foundational sources, professional journalists.
Update: Here is the Outside the Lines piece at ESPN about Terrelle Pryor’s autographing for cash story.
Almost laughed when they said he was planning to stick around to finish out his final year of class work. TP couldn’t have spent all that money on his ‘foot fetish” hell next we might hear the IRS subpoenas his checking accounts cause Lex wants Gene Smith to squirm before he gets axed for the Talbot coverup. The whole administration looks dirty now, just embarrassing for the average fan who was shocked from day one when TP opened his mouth after that game. “not everybody’s the perfect person in the world, I mean everyone kills people. murders people, steals from you, steals from me, whatever” …how could JT put such a punk in charge at QB? …we were thinking maybe “kills programs”.
I think it’s important to note – Jim Tressel is the only one who did Jim Tressel in. It was the fact he didn’t report it up to the right people, and instead only communicated with two people who were in a position to conceal the wrongdoing.
He’d been a major BCS coach for nearly a decade – he knew it was a violation when he found out about it. He knew it was a violation when he said he didn’t previously know anything about it. And he reaped the consequences.
Amazingly successful coach, but he’s the only one who’s responsible for getting canned.
The only thing that makes me nervous about this is the correlation of this accusation with the “stolen gear out of the lockeroom” story that came out last year. I searched for a link but couldn’t find it.
If memory serves, gear was being stolen out of the OSU locker room. Anyone remember that?
Anyway, if the accusations about Talbott are even _remotely_ true then it will be a cinch to find evidence. An absolute slam-dunk for any investigation. No way he moves that much product, that much money, with all those witnesses, that _blatantly,_ without there being plenty of proof that stuff happened.
In other words, if proof seems “hard to find,” then the accusation is completely bogus.
Aha – found the stolen goods news report from last year. Check the MotSaG main page shortly for a post on the subject.