QB Pryor A No-Show At Fiesta Media Day

Freshman Terrelle Pryor is the starting quarterback for Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yet he isn't talking, at least for now.

By: Associated Press | NBC4i.com
Published: January 03, 2009

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Freshman Terrelle Pryor is the starting quarterback for Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yet he isn't talking, at least for now.

The Buckeyes did not bring Pryor to the Fiesta Bowl media day on Friday, snubbing bowl officials who had hoped that Ohio State and Texas would make their starters available ahead of Monday night's game.

Ohio State Jim Tressel said it would be better for Pryor to attend meetings instead of the 30-minute session with reporters on Friday at the Fiesta's resort headquarters.

"My feeling is he probably had something that would be more impactful on our cause and that was to spend time in the meeting room," Tressel said. "We were asked to bring 30 players and we sent in a list of players. We did get one call, 'Did you happen to miss any?"'

Pryor's absence was notable in the ballroom set aside for media day. Frustrated Fiesta Bowl officials had to tell reporters that the Buckeyes' starting quarterback wasn't present - and that there was nothing they could do about it.

Fiesta Bowl president and CEO John Junker said he'd like the Bowl Championship Series to provide clearer rules for media access to players.

"Any policy is workable only if there are consequences in place, which is currently not the case," Junker said. "The present arrangement puts the team in question and the bowl in question in a difficult circumstance."

Tressel shrugged off the stir caused by Pryor's absence.

Asked if Ohio State fans would like to hear from their starting quarterback before the game, Tressel replied, "Well, I think we owe a lot to our fans. Unfortunately, you can't do everything you'd like to do.

"I would like all of our kids and coaches to be able to sign every autograph that every fan would like and, you know, all those kinds of things. But you can only do so many things. You have to make decisions. Some of them are well thought of, some of them aren't."

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy had no trouble attending media day for the Longhorns, who were snubbed in their efforts to reach the BCS title game.

"We're here," McCoy said. "We want to play the best game we have played all year. We've prepared so far and now it is kind of polishing up, getting ready. We'll see what happens."

QB Pryor A No-Show At Fiesta Media Day

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