SI's Boys Athlete of the Year: Pryor was a star in two sports
When Terrelle Pryor was a short-in-the-tooth, long-in-the-arm sophomore, Jeannette (Pa.) High coach Ray Reitz saw his star takeoff.
Playing against Washington (Pa.) High, the 6-foot-6, 200-pound quarterback eyed a 6-foot linebacker approaching him at the six-yard line. Pryor then jumped over the defender and landed five yards deep in the end zone. No touchdown was signaled by the referee and no flag appeared.
"I thought there was a penalty being called back,"
Reitz says of the delay. "[The refs] didn't know what they had just seen, but then they lifted their arms for a touchdown. It was like an earthquake where your first reaction is what the hell is happening, and then you call it what it is."
Two years later, the aftershocks of Pryor's landing are still registering in the record books throughout Western Pennsylvania and the nation, and now as SI's boys player of the year. A football and basketball recruit, Pryor excelled at both sports and enjoyed them equally, leading Jeannette to football and basketball state titles. Though Pryor signed with Ohio State to play football, he says: "Right now I am focused on being the best quarterback I can be, but I've talked with Coach Tress and he said I might be able to play basketball down the road."
"If he dedicated his time to basketball, he could have played at the professional level,"
says basketball talent evaluator Tom Konchalski. "He became football thick this year, but that athleticism could be used on the court."
Though he idolizes Tom Brady and Michael Jordan, Pryor has been the Friday Night idol in Western Pennsylvania since the eighth grade. Last winter, Kevin Main, a 31-year-old sports autograph and memorabilia collector, carved out a Pryor figurine. "I was just hoping to be a bobble head some day,"
says Pryor, who accounted for 4,250 rushing yards and 4,249 passing yards in his career.
Tantalized by his talent -- a sub 4.3 in the 40, more than 300-pound bench press and ability to throw 50 yards in the air from his knees -- recruiters awaited word from the wunderkind all winter. Rich Rodriguez paid his respects by informing Pryor of his decision to leave West Virginia for Michigan before he discussed his departure with Mountaineers players. On his trip to Ann Arbor, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl MVP -- who saw the likes of Tressel and Rodriguez come watch him play basketball -- received rock-star recruit treatment at a Michigan basketball game.
Pryor would delay his decision until after national Signing Day, and before he would ink a letter of intent, Pryor -- who led the basketball team to a 53-9 record his last two years -- took residence in rare air as he scored 23 points during Jeannette's state title win over Strawberry Mansion. Four days later, he slipped on a black Ohio State hat while he dotted the "i"
on his National Letter of Intent.
Back in football training now, lifting three days a week and throwing four days, Pryor's continues to leave footprints in Jeannette. After lifting sessions, he and teammates run with parachutes attached to their backs. The fleet-footed, two-sport star has also added a third sport to his resume, choosing to run the 200-meter event on the track team, "Why not?"
he asks. "I might win another championship."
A sort of normalcy has returned to his life in recent weeks. He attended prom, and says, "I guess anything without the attention I receive from sports is a bit of a relief."
On Thursday, he will fly out to California for the Quarterback Retreat where he should find solace and solicit advice. Numerous top-level Division I college quarterbacks will be there as well as professionals. Pryor is most excited to meet fellow Western Pennsylvania quarterback Joe Montana. "All that I've done was high school,"
Pryor says. "I'm already eyeing college."
