It's Pryor's time as OSU leader
COLUMBUS, Ohio — This isn't the same Terrelle Pryor who was the starting quarterback at Ohio State as a freshman two seasons ago.
It's also not the same guy who wore a message on his eyeblack supporting Michael Vick or who has occasionally lashed out his doubters and grated on his teammates.
"It's a huge difference from when he first got here to now, his maturity and how he became a leader," safety Tyler Moeller said. "When he first got here, I don't think too many people liked him, really. He was kind of a punk. But now I have the utmost respect for him. He's a great player and a great leader and I'd follow him into battle any day."
A wise and wizened junior, the former Jeannette High quarterback has taken a few shots on the field and off but now is being counted on to guide a Buckeyes team considered one of the best in the country.
One brief exchange this summer said volumes about Pryor's progress.
Asked how he would describe what he planned to be this fall for the Buckeyes, he said, "Electrifying."
Then, tempering his youthful exuberance with a dose of his coach's restraint, he added, "And no turnovers."
Pryor arrived in Columbus with Heisman Trophy talent. It's clear by those telling final three words that the willowy quarterback considered the best recruit in the country three years ago has officially bought into the Buckeye way of football.
Pryor, the MVP of the Rose Bowl, has come around to coach Jim Tressel's way of thinking. And Tressel's way of thinking is to not overburden his quarterback.
"My first year here I had fun. Last year I was thinking too much," Pryor said. "I had to think about the defense, think about the play, think about matchups. I was getting myself caught up into thinking too much. Where I am now, I feel like I just do it by reaction. That's a major thing to get to that reaction part."
A year ago, Pryor rushed for 779 yards to lead the Buckeyes. Ohio State's statistics go back to 1944 and no quarterback has led the Buckeyes in rushing in all that time, until last year.
He also passed for 2,094 yards, completing 57 percent of his passes for 18 TDs with 11 interceptions.
It was in the Rose Bowl victory against Oregon, on the biggest stage of his career, that Pryor gave his finest performance. He passed for 266 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 72 yards on a knee that would eventually require surgery and the Buckeyes snapped a three-game losing streak in BCS games with a 26-17 victory.
Tressel, starting his 10th season as Buckeyes coach, stresses that Pryor means a lot more to the Buckeyes than just his stats.
"Now he has to kind of continue to grow and mature in his own job but he's also being looked to from the rest of the group as a guy that they want to lead them," he said.
