COLUMBUS, Ohio — After the NCAA’s decision to allow collegiate athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, a group of former Buckeyes are asking for their records to be restored.
Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Solomon Thomas, Mike Adams and Daniel “Boom” Herron signed a letter Tuesday calling on the NCAA to recognize the Ohio State football team’s 2010 season. The Buckeyes had their 12-1 record and Big Ten title wiped out due to the five players violating the NCAA’s name, image and likeness rule.
Officially, Ohio State finished the season 0-1, with that season’s loss to Wisconsin being the only result not vacated.
“Although this could never undo what we and our families endured for breaking rules that shouldn’t have existed in the first place, we believe reinstating and acknowledging the accomplishments of ourselves and our teammates would be a huge step in the right direction,” the group of five players wrote on Tuesday.
“We are calling for our school records and legacy to be restored so that Buckeye Nation can look at us with the same love and fondness that we’ve always had for them,” the players added.
Near the end of the 2010 season, Ohio State revealed that the players were involved in selling memorabilia in exchange for money and tattoos. The revelation surfaced amid an FBI investigation involving a west Columbus tattoo parlor.
Although the players were not suspected of being involved in any criminal activity, the FBI’s investigation noted that the players’ memorabilia was seized during its investigation.
The players were later suspended for the start of the 2011 season, prompting Pryor to leave OSU for the NFL. It was later revealed that head coach Jim Tressel was made aware of his players’ involvement in the cash-for-memorabilia scandal. After originally being suspended for two games, and then later five games, Tressel resigned as head coach.
The scandal forced the Buckeyes to sit out the 2012 postseason. Ohio State finished the 2012 season undefeated, but was unable to participate in the inaugural Big Ten title game or a bowl game.
The former Buckeyes aren’t the only ones asking for records to be restored. 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush has asked that his award be reinstated after he was declared ineligible due to accepting payments while in college.
