Unfortunately, Not a “Man” Among Boys
My first ever blog post way back in 2007 referenced Terrelle Pryor’s athletic prowess as a high school football star. He seemed like a man among boys back then. This week, we continue to learn that he acts like a selfish, spoiled boy rather than a man.
As the stories continue to break about the Ohio State football mess that led to the “resignation” of coach Jim Tressel, we hear more about Pryor’s narcissistic behavior. Investigators are looking into whether Pryor received preferential treatment from a used car dealer responsible for supplying the team with dozens of vehicles. Pryor himself allegedly drove eight different cars during his three years with the Buckeyes.
Pryor and four teammates have already been suspended for the first five games of the upcoming season following a number of improprieties, which include taking money and tattoos from a local parlor owner indicted for federal drug trafficking. The players were also guilty of receiving cash and other gifts for autographs and equipment.
Tressel stepped down following 10 years with Ohio State following the revelation that he was aware of his team’s transgressions but did not notify anyone at the school or the NCAA for nearly a year.
Gene Collier’s latest column in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette calls out the adults who are NOW finally outraged with the behavior of Pryor and other Ohio State players.
There’s obviously plenty of blame to go around. Tressel, Ohio State’s administrators, tattoo parlor owners, Pryor’s mentors, and fans who turn their head while the win total increases.
But ultimately, individual responsibility matters the most. Pryor chose to act like a selfish little boy rather than a mature adult. No Man Among Boys, that’s for sure.