Buckeyes Now

Former Ohio State Quarterback Terrelle Pryor Asks NCAA To Reinstate 2010 Wins

The Buckeyes were forced to vacate 12 victories after players traded memorabilia for tattoos.

Andrew Lind

With college athletes now able to profit from their name, image and likeness, former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor shared an open letter on social media which asks the NCAA to reinstate the Buckeyes’ vacated wins from the 2010 season.

“The affirmation of NCAA athletes’ right to make a living from their name, image and likeness is a huge step in the right direction,” the letter said. “Armed with the correct resources and support, we know they’ll show what we felt to be true all along – not letting athletes capitalize on what ultimately is their hard work was unjust and unnecessary.

“Now that fundamental right has been granted to a new generation of athletes. Now that they finally have the freedom to share in some of the millions of dollars in revenue they generated for their coaches, their institutions, their conferences and the NCAA as a whole, we would like to see our hard-won accomplishments reinstated.

“Although this could never undo what we and our families endured for breaking rules that shouldn’t have existed in the first place, we believe reinstating and acknowledging the accomplishments of ourselves and our teammates would be a huge step in the right direction.”

Ohio State went 12-1 in 2010, winning the Big Ten Championship and Sugar Bowl, but had those victories wiped away after five players – Pryor, running back Daniel “Boom” Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey, offensive tackle Mike Adams and defensive end Solomon Thomas –traded their team-issued memorabilia for tattoos.

The Buckeyes were placed on two years probation and all five players were suspended for five games, though Pryor entered the NFL supplemental draft before the start of the following season. Head coach Jim Tressel was also suspended for two games but ultimately resigned from his post amid the investigation.

“We are calling for our school records and legacy to be restored so that Buckeye National can look at us with the same love and fondness that we’ve always had for them. We look forward to one day telling our story and the Tattoo 5 forever being a legitimate part of Ohio State’s glorious history.”

The letter was signed by all five players.

Of course, Ohio State’s name, image and likeness guidelines prevent student-athletes from selling their team-issued equipment and apparel until their eligibility is exhausted. But the NCAA hasn’t set any guidelines of its own, and the governing body is the one responsible for potentially reinstating the Buckeyes’ vacated wins.

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Andrew Lind
ANDREW LIND

Andrew Lind is an Ohio State beat writer and photographer at BuckeyesNow, founder of The Ohio State Uniform Database and the NCAA and NFL writer at SportsLogos.net.

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