Terrelle Pryor gets no respect

By: Sean Jackson (Examiner.com) -

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Terrelle Pryor told Brain Hamilton that if he were in Auburn or Michigan’s offense he would dominate college football. This comment came after Pryor found out he was not selected for either the first or the second All-Big Ten teams.

In all fairness to Terrelle, his comments echo his frustration. While his numbers are good and he continues to lead the Buckeyes to Big Ten titles and BCS bowls, there’s still a level of doubt about how good he is. It’s as if he has underachieved, because he hasn’t been as dominant as Cam Newton.

There are many ways to look at his comment. In one perspective, Pryor might be right. If he had the opportunity to let loose he may dominate college football. At the same time though, his comment seems off putting. Terrelle needs to understand that he cannot always wear his emotions on his sleeve. Making these comments may place him on front pages but it may not sit well with NFL scouts, who are looking to draft him.

The truth of the matter is this, when Pryor leaves Ohio State next year, he will leave as the winningest quarterback in Ohio State’s history. Still, he may never receive the respect he deserves. In fact, there may always be a bit of doubt that he didn’t play up to his potential. There’s only one way for Pryor to solve this problem. Continue to improve. In fact, it’s the only way to do it.