(mentions CMT) Pryor Updates Knee, Prepares for Junior Season

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Pryor Updates Knee, Prepares for Junior Season

By Castel

http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2010/Winterconditioning/pryorknee.htm

As a sophomore, Terrelle Pryor led Ohio State to an 11-2 season and a 26-17

victory over Oregon in the Rose Bowl. After suffering a devastating loss at

Purdue in October, the 6-foot-6 quarterback carried the Buckeyes to six-straight

wins down the stretch despite playing on a partially torn posterior cruciate

ligament (PCL) in his left knee. Although the injury limited his mobility late

in the season, it was expected that Pryor could make a full recovery without

surgery in the off-season because of the way PCL injuries are typically treated

today. But when the pain in his knee lingered in the weeks following the Rose

Bowl, team doctor Kaeding decided to take a close look.

" We just thought I'd strengthen it, but when Dr. Kaeding went into it, there

were a lot of things wrong with it, " said Pryor, who went under the knife for

arthroscopic surgery three weeks ago after talking it over with OSU Head Coach

Jim Tressel.

" We just felt that if we did it now it would be better. "

The decision to have the surgery in February knocked Pryor out for a large

portion of winter conditioning, but it should allow the knee to be ready for the

start of spring practice, which begins on April 1 and runs through the annual

Scarlet and Gray Spring Game on April 24.

" It's a minor surgery, " Pryor said Sunday at a video game fundraiser for

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT), a neurological disorder from which his father

suffers.

" Some people come back in a week. Some people, it just depends on how you heal.

We are just taking a slow process because we don't have to (go fast). "

It may have only been minor surgery, but it was still surgery all the same.

While Pryor feels confident he will be ready for the start of spring ball now,

he may not have felt quite as positive about the decision in the days following

his operation.

" I laid at home for about five days and then I went in and started to do upper

body work. My upper body got real weak because I was sitting at home taking pain

pills and I lost a lot of weight because I wasn't really eating, " he said.

" So I'm going to start getting back with the team workouts. It kind of sucks

because you can't work out with your teammates, but I finally get back to get

with them soon so I am happy about that. "

According to friend and fellow quarterback Kenny Guiton, Pryor participated in a

7-on-7 drill last Sunday for the first time since the surgery, and looked good

throwing the ball despite the fact he wasn't putting too much strain on the

knee.

" He did pretty good, so that was a plus for us, " said Guiton, who could compete

with Joe Bauserman for the backup quarterback job in 2010.

" We don't do too much moving around in 7-on-7, so I haven't gotten to see him

move around as much but he looks all right right now. He's back in the weight

room and he's all right to me. "

Guiton also spends a good amount of time with Pryor away from the Woody

Athletic Center and said he hasn't noticed the knee giving him problems in any

other areas of his life.

As their starting quarterback and the face of the offense, the Buckeyes are

certainly going to take things slow with Pryor as he recovers from the surgery.

He can't officially work with quarterbacks coach Nick Siciliano, or team advisor

Joe s, until spring ball, but Pryor is already putting in work on his form

and footwork with strength and conditioning coordinator Lichter.

" Me and coach Lichter, we do a lot of drop backs and accuracy throws and stuff

like that. We are trying to get some accuracy going and we have gotten a lot

better at it and we are going to continue to work at it, " said Pryor, who has

yet to do any cutting since the surgery.

" We have been doing all types of stuff and we will get into it a little more

when I can start cutting and stuff. "