We’ve all seen it. Player is in high school. Player is a great athlete. Player gets wined and dined by schools. Player makes numerous trips to different schools. Player chooses school. Player comes to school. Player thinks he is the best thing since sliced bread. Player finds out college sports are a bit more difficult. Player either learns and becomes better, or ends up a cautionary tale.

The sad thing is, the latter seems to happen more than the former. With the way some student athletes are these days, trying to get them to come from a situation where people were drooling over them to come play for them and then expect for them to learn and be open to change is a pretty tall order, even though to us old-schoolers, it shouldn’t be an issue. So when a player of Terrelle Pryor’s stature comes along, one of those really special types of athlete that holds fan’s attentions with every step, the likelihood that the player is going to be a “diva” is probably pretty strong, right?

Wrong.

In fact, with Pryor being a freshman in one of the most outstanding programs in the country, Ohio State, he has not only been one of the most humble in terms of being much of a learner than someone who is walking in thinking he owns the place, but he’s doing so with a quiet confidence and desire that even the most veteran players are taking notice.
This is such a great thing to have as a coach, as a fan of the team, and as a follower of the conference. With some questionable things happening with players in Iowa and Penn St., along with the fact that media usually jumps on even the wildest suspicions when it comes to college athletes, to see this type of character from some one who is as high profile of Pryor really gives you a good feeling about the guy. Ability is one thing, but to me integrity and character are on a much higher level, which is why I feel like if you break a major rule as a “privileged” athlete with a scholarship, you lose that right–just like us in the real world do according to rules and laws. So when I see the things going on in Iowa and Penn St., I just shake my head in disappointment.

But then I read articles like this about Pryor, and it reshapes my faith in the college sports culture. Let’s hope that the preliminary impression we have of this young man continues.