Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was on a conference call for reporters Wednesday night. Here are the topics he discussed:
On tweeting about playing basketball: We into football season right now. No disrespect to you, but this is Penn State week. I'm sorry.
On this being Penn State week: Now I look at it is like it's just another game. That's really what it is. It's nothing bigger, nothing smaller.
Rate his season so far: I think I'm doing good. I think personally I'm playing pretty good, just taking care of the ball. But I think I need to, there's a couple picks I wish I could get back. But sometimes you throw the ball a lot, them things come. From here on out I've got to take care of the ball more.
Not running as much this year: We're gonna get to 1,000 this year.
You're going to reach 1,000: Yeah.
That's going to be tough to do: Yeah, but not really.
Do you know much about Matt McGloin or cross paths with him: No sir, I never heard of him. Besides watching and just hearing about he's starting because we've got pictures all over the place on him. But besides that, no, I never heard of him. I'm usually focused on the defense. I've heard a lot about Bolden, though.
Being a prized recruit vs. a former walk-on in McGloin: Any time I get a chance to face Scrap, it's gonna be a battle and it's gonna be fun because I have one of the best recruiters that recruited me and one of my very good friends that I still stay close to. I don't really know McGloin, the kid that you're talking about. But any time I get a chance to play against a quarterback I try to win that battle, turnover margin and efficiency.
How he uses his stiff-arm: This week I think I'm gonna have to run the ball tough, which I will. Sometimes I use the stiff-arm any time a defender gets close to me really, but I think I'm gonna have to put the shoulder down this week.
How is he different from last year: Decision making, I guess. You can make a list of that. I don't want to hold you guys that long. You can make a list of it. Any time you get a year in advance, you're gonna be better in a lot of things.
How much does it help having a good backfield: This whole season, I don't get any run calls, really, except probably coming up this game. All them yards that you see I got running is from quarterback runs not having a pass or just running when the pass isn't there.
Does he read coverages better: I could even read coverages last year. I just wasn't the best thrower. I didn't really take care of the ball a lot last year. I was just kind of like whipping it out.
How much contact does he have with Bradley: We've been talking before last week's game against Northwestern, and we were talking two or three times this week over text messages. We stay in contact because you never know in the business, this world, you never know some day later on down the road we might land in together. You never know. You also want to keep them contacts. My hat's off to Penn State, especially because the type of coaches they have. They're not just there to recruit you and send you off to the next team like other coaches and other universities do. They actually care about their two-way recruit, and my hat's off to Penn State because they have a great organization from that standpoint.
Why he chose Ohio State over PSU: I kind of wanted to go with Tressel because I got a better feeling about him, like I got an understanding like he's a stand-up guy. And to this point I trust him the same way I trusted him when I signed here. I would make this choice 100 out of 100 times. The things I've learned from Coach Tressel, I can't really take back any of that, so I'm kind of glad with that pick. And also, nothing against, I've said this before, I just wanted to be in a big-city type. Nothing against Penn State or anything like that.
State College isn't big enough for you: Nothing against that. I just like to be in a city environment. Nothing against Penn State at all, no disrespect to their university.
Surprised it's a 17-point line: I didn't hear that. 17 points, I didn't know that. That puts fuel to their fire, I guess. I'm not really worried about it because we don't do no betting or anything like that.
Will he be back in college next year: Yes sir. I'm a Buckeye til I break all the records.
Does he think about 2008 game against PSU: Not really because it's a game. Winning [at PSU last year] definitely took pressure off my chest, but at the same time, as I grew up and got older off the field, you have time to think a lot, especially with myself, I like sitting at home and just thinking all the time. I'm a big thinker. I'm gonna take a lot of losses, and I'm gonna win a lot of games, and I've got to look at it like you've just got to get on to the next one. That's the way I'm gonna view everything, just get on to the next thing.
His swagger: Sometimes it can get me in trouble, I guess, not on the field but off the field. I've just got such a strong mindset to myself. Not in a cocky way at all. I just carry myself in a certain way that I feel like, as hard as I work, I want to carry myself so my teammates know exactly where I'm coming from. I feel like I have swagger, and then [my teammates] see it in me and it brings onto the offensive side. We play very loose, and that's how the game should be played -- very fun and loose.
Big wins the past two games after loss: [The loss] refocused us, and the main thing, I think we had to get back to our techniques and get back to the mechanics, and that's what we did. Eventually it helped out, I think. We just had to get back to that after a loss and forget that loss and keep fighting and do whatever we can control. We can control the right now. That's the way we have to go about it.
Evaluate his development: Just growing into the position a little bit, growing and keeping, you're just seeing the same things and seeing the same things and your reactions are a little bit faster and you kind of know where to go with the ball. Also your footwork is a big deal because your feet lead to the throw.
Is there no chance you'll leave early for the NFL: I don't know. Probably not. I don't think so. I don't think so. I feel like I just want to get my degree and finish off strong and maybe have an even better season next year and maybe have no losses. Right now we're at the end of this season. I love being here. I think I just need to develop more knowledge as a human being and not worry about money and stuff like that. My mom works a little bit and I can just use some of her money and the money that we get here, so I don't really have to worry about money, I guess. I can suffer another year. I just want to gain more knowledge as a human being and grow a little older as a human being so I can know what to do when I get out.
