Great, now Tressel is holding Pryor back. We'll probably see the thug running a lot more this week.
HS coach: Tressel should let Pryor run</font>
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By Joe Schad
ESPN
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The high school coach of
Ohio State quarterback
Terrelle Pryor says that his former player could be utilized more effectively by Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel.
"They need Terrelle to run more," former Jeannette (Pa.) High School
coach Ray Reitz said. "They've put the reins on him and they need to
let him go free. When I watch Terrelle play right now, I see a robot."
Reitz, now the coach at Latrobe High, said Pryor was recruited on the premise of a more diverse offense.
"All I know is they promised him that they would teach
him a pro-style system with both a shotgun and under center," Reitz
said. "Jim Tressel is a great coach and he's been running his offense
successfully for 30 years. But I'd like to see some zone-read plays
where with one mistake [by the defense], he can be gone. With some
zone-read plays, they wouldn't be able to take away all the outside
runs because he'd be a threat to go between the tackles."
Pryor threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles as Ohio State (No.
19 BCS, No. 18 AP) was upset by two-touchdown underdog Purdue last
week. On Tuesday, Tressel stood behind his quarterback, deflecting fan
suggestions that he bench Pryor or move him to wide receiver.
Buckeyes receiver
DeVier Posey,
one of Pryor's favorite targets, made the case that too much has been
expected of Pryor, a sophomore who has commanded attention from the
moment he set foot on campus.
"From his first pass, [people said] he's really not that good. But I
really feel that's kind of hard for a guy like that, you know what I
mean? There's only one
Tim Tebow
in this world and I don't really know what people want from [Pryor],"
Posey said. "He's going to get better. He really can't do much worse."
Posey went on to say Pryor will improve, although he was a bit unsure of when.
"I feel like he's going to get better, he's going to be a great player.
It's going to happen in time," Posey said, explaining he believes Pryor
is further along than Ohio State Heisman winner Troy Smith or ex-Texas
QB Vince Young were at the same stage. "And I just feel like if people
are patient, and he's patient [he'll be great]. ... He's not going to
be great tomorrow. But if he works on it, eventually in a year or two,
or even maybe by the end of this year, he'll be a great player."
Reitz said he believes that Pryor is being affected by criticism --
though he adds Pryor would never admit it. And he says it would be a
mistake to move Pryor to wide receiver.
<blockquote>
"</span>
Jim Tressel is a great coach. But I can tell you there is more to Terrelle Pryor than what we've been seeing.
"Â</span>
<cite>-- Ray Reitz, Pryor's high school coach</cite>
</blockquote>
"He would be a great wide receiver or even a great linebacker,"
Reitz said. "But that doesn't mean you should move him from
quarterback. In fact, I don't think he'd agree to a move to wide
receiver. Give him time to grow. Put the ball in his hands and if there
is a breakdown let him run. It doesn't look to me like he's relaxed. It
doesn't look like he has rhythm. It doesn't look like he's comfortable."
Pryor was among the most highly sought recruits in the nation when he
chose Ohio State over Michigan, Penn State and Oregon, after extending
the process beyond signing day. But Reitz believes Pryor's high-profile
recruiting process is hurting him now.
"There are people that are rooting for him to fail because he's
arrogant," Reitz said. "But it was the college coaches who told him to
take time after signing day if he wasn't ready."
"There is no question that Rich Rodriguez's offense, for example, would
be more apt to suit Terrelle's skills," Reitz said. "But Ohio State
sold him on the idea that they would prepare him for the NFL and that
they don't run 'zone-read' in the NFL. Jim Tressel is a great coach.
But I can tell you there is more to Terrelle Pryor than what we've been
seeing."
At his news conference Tuesday, Tressel was asked about maximizing Pryor's skills.
"I don't know if anyone could question the explosive potential both
running and passing that Terrelle brings and have we all done
everything to make sure that we magnify that?" Tressel said. "Probably
not. Has he done everything he needs to do to maximize that? Probably
not. But it doesn't mean we won't stop working on it."
Joe Schad is a national college football reporter for ESPN. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=4582474&type=story
Edited by: Colonel_Reb