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Former Ohio State football quarterback Terrelle Pryor is suing the school, Big Ten, and the NCAA over denied Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) compensation, according to Ralph Russo of The Athletic CFB. Pryor's lawsuit comes on the heels of Reggie Bush's lawsuit against USC and many former Michigan players going after the NCAA and Big Ten Network.
“For many years and continuing to the present, the Defendants have systematically and intentionally misappropriated the publicity rights and NIL of the Plaintiffs and those similarly situated and in doing so have reaped millions, and perhaps billions, of dollars from the Plaintiffs and the class,” the lawsuit said.
“Meanwhile, the student-athletes themselves were not only prevented from capitalizing on their publicity rights, but they were punished for doing so through the rules the NCAA forced upon them in order for them to participate.”
Pryor was the No. 1 rated recruit in the nation on Rivals and No. 4 in the ESPN 150 for the class of 2008. In June 2011, Pryor withdrew from Ohio State and was effectively banned from the university's athletic program. This made him eligible for the NFL's supplemental draft. The Oakland Raiders selected him in the third round, and he began his career with an NFL-mandated five-game suspension.
Terrelle Pryor's legacy with Ohio State football, NFL
Pryor never quite got Ohio State football over the hump. In 2008, the No. 9 Buckeyes finished 10-3, ending the season with 24-21 loss to the Texas Longhorns in the Fiesta Bowl. In 2009, Ohio State finished the season ranked No. 5 with an 11-2 record. In 2010, the school again finished the season ranked No. 5 with a 12-1 record. Unfortunately, NCAA violations were levied against the team the following year and all 12 wins were vacated and Jim Tressel resigned his position as head coach in the summer of 2011.
Pryor's time with the Buckeyes resulted in a storm of controversy and directly led to Jim Tressel's departure. It also ushered in the Urban Meyer era with the Buckeyes, which was successful on the field but led to another set of scandals.
In the NFL, Pryor began his career as a quarterback but eventually found success as a wide receiver with the Cleveland Browns. In 2016, he caught 77 passes for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns. That big season earned him a one-year, $8 million prove-it deal with the then Washington Redskins. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career, and he was out of the league after another two seasons. In the years since, he's had run-ins with the law, including being stabbed in 2019.
