NFL Rules Pryor Eligible For Supplemental Draft
Earlier this week, the league postponed the NFL Supplemental Draft, originally scheduled for Wednesday, August 17. There was no reason given, but presumably the decision was made to give the NFL more time to consider if former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor should be made eligible for the draft.
On Thursday, the NFL announced that the draft has been rescheduled for August 22, and that Pryor will be eligible -- but with one caveat: "Pryor will be ineligible to practice prior to or play in the first five games of the NFL regular season after he signs."
Details via the NFL statement released to all 32 teams:
"... Pryor made decisions that undermine the integrity of the eligibility rules for the NFL Draft. Those actions included failing to cooperate with the NCAA and hiring an agent in violation of NCAA rules, which resulted in Ohio State declaring him ineligible to continue playing college football.
"Pryor then applied to enter the NFL after the regular draft. Pryor had accepted at the end of the 2010 college football season a suspension for the first five games of the 2011 season for violating NCAA rules. Pryor will be ineligible to practice prior to or play in the first five games of the NFL regular season after he signs."
Next up: finding a team interested enough in Pryor to actually select him. With the supplemental draft now four days away, Pryor will likely take part in a hastily convened pro day (his previous pro day was cancelled because he was still ineligible), and then it will be out of his hands.
