COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There's a concrete divider in the tunnel leading from the locker room to the field in the corner of the south end zone at Ohio Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeye players always walked on the right side against the wall, in the smaller of the two openings.
So that's where Terrelle Pryor walked while most of his teammates entered through the bigger opening. It's a tradition for Pryor, just like the "O-H-I-O" signal he gave to the fans with his arms when he heard the first cheers.
Pryor didn't participate in the Cleveland Browns' scrimmage here on Friday because he's nursing a sore hamstring. But it was a big night for him because he was in a place he'd been banned from entering back in 2011 because he didn't cooperate with an NCAA investigation into whether players received tattoos in exchange for memorabilia.
Ohio State lifted the five-year ban for one night so Pryor could attend the scrimmage with his Browns teammates.
"I got a chance to talk to a lot of people I know and got to meet a great coach like Urban Meyer," Pryor told reporters as he signed autographs for fans, including one on a replica of his No. 2 Buckeyes jersey. "I also got to step on the field a little bit and run, so I had a good day."
Pryor, who is attempting to change positions from quarterback to wide receiver for the Browns, said he didn't have mixed emotions, only positive ones.
"We played a lot of great games and not a lot of losses here, so that makes me think of all the teammates I had and the blessings," he reflected, "just being around Coach (Jim) Tressel and seeing all of the fans in scarlet and gray."
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