Terrelle Pryor says he took $3k

[killxswitch]

Originally Posted by Bob Sanders Dreadlock

Terelle Pryor was on a full ride scholarship and if he was poor as he makes his family out to be got loaded with grants or loans if he wanted too. There is a lot of legal money he could have gotten from the state to give back to his family.

Can you still get grants and scholarships when you have a full ride scholarship already? It's hard to imagine you'd qualify, and pretty ****** considering the other candidates that would miss out so athletes could have "legit" drinking money.

[Shane P. Hallam]

Originally Posted by killxswitch

Can you still get grants and scholarships when you have a full ride scholarship already? It's hard to imagine you'd qualify, and pretty ****** considering the other candidates that would miss out so athletes could have "legit" drinking money.

Yup, athletes can get a Pell Grant at Ohio State as well which will pay them a bit of money weekly depending on their parents income bracket.

They also get payed a flat sum for their books, food, etc. For example, a student athlete I RAed got $500 for books per quarter. Generally, they will run a student 200-300 dollars. So, he went and bought new shoes with the rest.

[The Great Jonathan Vilma]

I don't buy the pity party. I agree it is a sob story that wasn't necessary. I certainly agree that the NCAA pushes their weight around, as do the boosters and agents. Everyone is out for themselves, lets not kid ourselves. Ultimately the athletes/students are at the bottom of the barrel and will take the brunt of it in the end, but they themselves hardly live the tough life.

If there is a level of helping the family then I can appreciate the desire to help them out. However, given what we know we can agree that at least a portion was used for personal pleasure, not strictly to 'support the family'.

The truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

[iowatreat54]

While I certainly feel for Pryor's family to an extent, a lot does not add up here. And while I don't think the system is perfect, the whole "feel bad for me, I had no choice" thing I can't go with.

First, I'm not sure what it's like in other states, but in Illinois it's illegal to turn off the heat to a residence in winter. So while it would have racked up unpaid bills, you wouldn't need to use an oven. No idea for PA.

Second, as others have mentioned, Pryor couldn't apply for other financial aide for his family? Or his family couldn't get aide? His ONLY choice was to accept improper benefits? Come on...

Third, Pryor is constantly seen off the field with valuable items, whether it be electronics, cars, jewelry, etc. Either one of two things is happening: he accepted everything against the rules, or someone was dumb enough to buy him all that stuff (within the rules) instead of spending the money on a heating bill.

Finally, it's not the NCAAs fault if you are poor. Does it suck? Absolutely. But they aren't forcing you to go to play football or go to school. Pryor could have graduated high school and gotten a full time job to provide for his family if it was that bad. He could have trained for a couple years while working, and enter the NFL draft in 3 years. Is that the optimal scenario? Of course not. But it's not like playing college football is his only option in life after HS, and so he was "forced" into cheating and accepting money improperly. And I know football is the reason why he's in college, and the reason why he can go to school for free, but millions of people don't go to college and at least scrape by in life. Sometimes life sucks and you can't always get what you want or play football for a living.

Again, I feel for his family if they are that poor, but it's really hard to believe things were soooo bad and he had no other choice.

[phlysac]

He was getting 20K - 40K for autograph sessions. He got a "scholarship check" that basically covers "estimated cost of living." That living cost is essentially nothing since he wasn't living on campus, he wasn't paying for books, etc. So this check would basically cover rent and leave him the equivalent to a few hundred dollars a month "spending money." Why does he need a job if he has several hundred dollars "extra" each month?

And feel free to peruse all of the benefits available to help people pay their utilities in Pennsylvania. Being a resident, and having used them when I needed, I can assure you, his mother could've received assistance.

http://www.puc.state.pa.us/general/c...sst_progs.aspx

Again, I could care less he took money. I just think it was chicken s**t for him to use an excuse such as he did. And to use the phrase "doing God's work"??? Are you effing kidding me?

[phlysac]

I've always given Pryor the benefit of doubt but this "God's work" statement is a disgrace to all of the "well-to-do" people in the Jeannette, Greensburg, Irwin, Latrobe-area that have been "helping out" Terrelle and his family since he was in Jr. High.

Sad.

[Rabscuttle]

...and I suppose the free golf at the country club was a means for him to find the missing heat.

[P-L]

The guy who drives a Nissan 350-Z, wore Gucci hats, and had a new pair of retro Jordans every month needed money so his mom could heat her house.

[Matthew Jones]

Same excuse as "I need money to put food on my family's table."

[phlysac]

Originally Posted by Matthew Jones

Same excuse as "I need money to put food on my family's table."

Yeah but at least Sprewell didn't say it was "God's work."

[WCH]

"Whenever I write my book, the proof will be in there, the receipt that the money I gave my mother was to pay the electric and heat bill," Pryor told Sports Illustrated. "The truth is going to come out one day when the time is right. I don't think I deserved (being punished) in that way, because of the reason I was doing it. I felt like I was doing God's work in a way, and I was getting driven into the ground."

I think that the key words are "the money I gave my mother." He chose those words, rather than something along the lines of "the money I received" or "the money I accepted."

I think that it's very believable that he spent a portion of his money to pay utility bills for his family.

[phlysac]

Originally Posted by WCH

I think that the key words are "the money I gave my mother." He chose those words, rather than something along the lines of "the money I received" or "the money I accepted."

I think that it's very believable that he spent a portion of his money to pay utility bills for his family.

Good thing he'll prove it... when he writes his book.



He's disgracing himself.

[WCH]

I'm sure there'll be plenty of unsold copies that his family can burn for heat.

[Sloopy]

Originally Posted by Monomach

So..those seven different new cars (all registered to the same dealership) that he had at Ohio State...

Was he only taking them so he could park them in his mother's house and crank up their heaters?

My thoughts exactly.

It's great that he used money received to pay his momss bills, hell I might have considered doing the same.

However, lets not act like he risked his career just to help his mom out. He did some other really stupid things that jeopardized his career as well.

I respect him for paying his mom's bills, but this still seems like a cop out for what he did.

Originally Posted by Rabscuttle

...and I suppose the free golf at the country club was a means for him to find the missing heat.

http://www.ncaa.com/content/ohio-state-public-reportv2

That actually never happened.

Violations included selling of memorabilia and discounted tattoos at one particular tattoo parlor (and in Pryor's case, a loan for a car and repairs to said car)

As well as some players being payed for work that they did not do.

Terrell Pryor is athlete #5 for your reference.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by P-L

The guy who drives a Nissan 350-Z, wore Gucci hats, and had a new pair of retro Jordans every month needed money so his mom could heat her house.

Totally makes sense.