Exceptional Pryor looks to join W. Pa. legends

The Jeannette High senior has not yet made his college commitment.

JEANNETTE, Pa. (AP) — Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, George Blanda and Jim Kelly earned Pittsburgh and its environs the nickname of the Cradle of Quarterbacks.

Next up? It may very well be Terrelle Pryor, whose high school career dwarfed those who preceded him in one of the nation’s most competitive and closely watched football regions.

Pryor, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound bundle of talent, is the latest in a lengthy line of exceptional players from western Pennsylvania that also includes Tony Dorsett, LaVar Arrington and Bill Fralic.

“Not in my lifetime have I seen a player like Terrelle, and I’ve watched football for 40 years,” said Ray Reitz, his coach at Jeannette High School. “When you’re great, you’re great. He could compete at any level.”

Reitz, who saw Dorsett in high school, isn’t alone in tossing out such praise for the only player in Pennsylvania high school history to rush for more than 4,000 yards and throw for more than 4,000 in a career. He finished with 4,250 yards rushing and 4,249 passing.

Pryor has already won several national player of the year awards. He was the MVP of the nationally televised U.S. Army All-American Bowl game in San Antonio earlier this month. He is also the No. 1-rated player by nearly every major recruiting service.

Pryor is special for another reason, too: Only two weeks from NCAA Division I-A national letter of intent day, Pryor is uncommitted — making him the object of one of the most intense coast-to-coast recruiting competitions in recent years.

The reason are obvious.

Pryor’s size, speed, arm strength, acceleration and athleticism are uncommon for a quarterback so young. This season, Pryor had 3,788 yards of total offense, rushing for 1,899 yards and passing for 1,889 on a 16-0 team that scored a state-record 860 points, or 105 more than the previous record. Pryor ran for 33 touchdowns and threw for 23, averaging a touchdown every four times he touched the ball.

He is looking at Michigan, Ohio State, LSU and Oregon, but schools frequently fall on and off the list.

“He’s a program changer. If you get him, you’re going to get a lot of other great athletes to follow,” Reitz said.

Pryor has a 3.4 grade-point average, goes to class and is being mentored by Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, who met him through a relative and is helping guide him through the recruiting process.

Pryor’s parents split up years ago and neither currently lives in Jeannette, which is 25 miles east of Pittsburgh. Pryor has lived with his godfather throughout high school, yet has managed to stay grounded and focused with his life, school work and his athletic career.

“I don’t think everybody will know where he’s going for sure until signing day [Feb. 6],” said Batch, who went to Eastern Michigan and thus has no personal stake in where Pryor winds up.