Terrelle Pryor and ‘Tattoo 5’ call on NCAA to restore Ohio State football records

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Quarterback Terrelle Pryor and four other former Ohio State football players who were sanctioned for receiving free tattoos and other ineligible benefits in exchange for their memories are calling for the restoration of wins and individual records for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes were forced to set aside wins and records under NCAA sanctions almost a decade ago.

In one statement posted on Twitter On Tuesday, Pryor and the four other former Buckeyes – wide receiver DeVier Posey, defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, offensive tackle Mike Adams and running back Daniel “Boom” Herron – asked “that our academic records and our legacy be restored so that Buckeye Nation can look at us with the same love and affection that we have always had for them. “

The player demands come nearly two weeks after new laws in several states and NCAA rule changes allow student-athletes to take advantage of their name, image and likeness.

“Affirming the rights of NCAA athletes to live off their name, image and likeness is a big step in the right direction,” wrote the former Ohio State players, who referred to themselves as the name “Tattoo 5”. “Armed with the right resources and support, we know they will show what we thought was true from the start – not letting the athletes capitalize on what is ultimately their hard work was unfair and unnecessary. “

The NCAA ruled in 2010 that Pryor sold a 2008 Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award, his 2008 Big Ten championship ring and a “gold pants” charm, which is given to Ohio State players after beating its rival Michigan.

In a controversial decision, the NCAA allowed the suspended players to participate in the Buckeyes’ 31-26 victory over Arkansas at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4, 2011. Their suspensions were to begin with Game 1 of the following season, however. Pryor never played for the Buckeyes again after the Sugar Bowl.

Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who guided the Buckeyes to their first national championship in 34 years in his second season in 2002, resigned under pressure in May 2011. His resignation came nearly three months ago. after the university announced that it had suspended Tressel for two games. – later increased to five games to match player suspensions – and fined him $ 25,000 for finding out players had received free tattoos from a local salon.

Tressel, who is now President of Youngstown State in Youngstown, Ohio, had denied knowing his players were receiving unwarranted benefits until investigators showed him emails suggesting he had indeed been made aware of it in April 2010. .

In December 2011, the NCAA banned Urban Meyer’s Ohio State first team from playing in a bowling alley and added further scholarship cuts and another year of probation to the self-imposed penalties of the school. The university had already left the 2010 season and returned its share of the bowl’s income.

“While this can never undo what we and our families have endured for breaking rules that shouldn’t have existed in the first place, we believe that the recovery and recognition of our accomplishments and those of our teammates would be. a big step in the right direction, “he added. the players wrote on Twitter.

The Ohio State players’ plea closely resembles a statement issued by former USC star Reggie Bush, who demanded that the 2005 Heisman Trophy he won be returned to him and his records with horses. of Troy be restored. Bush returned his Heisman Trophy to the Downtown Athletic Club after an NCAA investigation determined he and his family received thousands of dollars in free rent, furniture, cash and travel expenses while he played at USC.



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