(mentions CMT) Paterno on Pryor

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Paterno on Pryor

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CHICAGO -- Joe Paterno liked Terrelle Pryor, as well as the rest of

Pryor's family. Pryor liked Paterno, as did the rest of his family.

But Penn State's head coach didn't expect to see the state's top-

ranked quarterback in blue and white.

" I never thought we had a chance with Terrelle, " Paterno said Friday

morning at the Big Ten Media Days.

he Pryor family had another tie to Paterno besides the talented

Terrelle. His father, Craig, suffers from Charcot-Marie-Tooth

disorder (CMT), a neurological disease that causes loss of the normal

use of hands and feet. Paterno and his wife, Sue, are spokespersons

for the CMT Association, which Paterno said strengthed the ties

between the two families.

But despite the hope that Craig -- and most Nittany Lion fans -- had

that his son would attend Penn State, Paterno said he could sense

early on that Pryor favored Ohio State, where he will begin practice

early next month.

" He never came up for an official visit (to Penn State), " Paterno

said. " When you can't get him up for an official visit ... " Paterno

turned his palms upward and shrugged.