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Terrelle Pryor Media Session

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QB Terrelle Pryor addresses the media. Photo by Tony Gonzales.

Q: Terrelle, how was day one? 

Pryor: It was fun interacting with the other quarterbacks here. I thought it was a good time. It was just a lot of information in one day, but I'm going to get used to it.

Q: You were talking to Coach Jackson a lot out there. What were you guys talking about?

Pryor: He was just helping me out. He's a great coach and I enjoy him a lot. I'm looking forward to working with him.

Q: How far behind do you think you are given you're only going to be allowed to practice for a couple weeks and then the suspension kicks in?

Pryor: I'd say the problem is that I'm 17 or 18 days of practices behind right now and I'm just catching up. Some of the stuff is getting there right now and I'm starting to get familiar with some of that stuff within one day. Give me a couple days and I should start to feel a lot more comfortable.

Q: What do you envision getting accomplished your first year as a player?

Pryor: I don't know. I just want to help out and help win. I just want to get my feet wet and really learn off of Jason Campbell as well as the other quarterbacks here because they have been around the block.

Q: How much fun have you had the past couple of days?

Pryor: I wouldn't say fun because I traveled yesterday for about 17 hours and had delays because of Hurricane Irene. I don't know if I'd call that exactly fun, but it was fun that I got this opportunity to be out here and now I'm out here. So it's fun that I'm back on the practice field though.

Q: Did you feel nervous at all and, if so, what do you compare that to the feeling going out there today?

Pryor: I'm not nervous, but it's just you're getting so much information. My mind wants to accomplish it and I want to accomplish it, but it's just overwhelming.

Q: They throw you right in there and you had a lot of action? 

Pryor: The big thing was getting the cadence down. I was learning the cadence and at first, coach was playing around with me and saying that he was going to embarrass me [laughs]. But, I had fun, I'm learning and I like the way coach makes his quarterbacks learn.

Q: How important is it to come in low key, learn your teammates and get to learn the Raider way?

Pryor: This right here [referring to the press conference] isn't the best thing [laughs].  But I pretty much need to be quiet, when I'm supposed to talk and learn. That's the biggest thing and, as you said, I'm behind the eight ball and I'm just trying to learn as many things as I can.

Q: Explain your disappointment that you won't be on the field playing with your team the first five weeks of the season.

Pryor: It's a disappointment because I've never sat out any games, even when I was hurt. Not being allowed to play in games and having to miss them is something I don't really know. When you ask me around that time, I could probably tell you what it feels like. Right now, I'm just trying to play catch-up and get the information as much as I can.

Q: Do you feel like the judgment was fair?

Pryor: It is what it is. I didn't have to be in the supplemental draft and I was allowed in. I'm just going to take the opportunity and not bad mouth it. It goes both ways and I'm just glad that he [Roger Goodell] gave me that opportunity, so that's all I can ask for.

Q: What do you say to critics that question you can play quarterback at this level?

Pryor: Ask Coach Jackson. He knows.

Q: He said that you were coming in as a quarterback?

Pryor: Ask him after a couple of practices. I don't know.

Q: Do you feel like you have something to prove?

Pryor: Any time you come in fresh you have something to prove. I'm just trying to get better. I'm not out here to answer any critics; I'm just trying to answer myself because I'm the biggest critic. I don't hear the other critics anyway, so I'm my biggest critic and prove it to myself.

Q: What have your conversations been like with Al Davis?

Pryor: I haven't met him face to face, but I've chatted with him a couple of times on the phone. He's an aggressive guy and he loves to win, so that's what I get out of him.

Q: What is your impression of Jason Campbell and what's your relationship been like so far?

Pryor: He's great and that goes for all the quarterbacks. They are great with helping me and trying to catch me up as fast as possible. Jason Campbell is a great quarterback and he can play.

Q: Jason said some of the guys have been teasing you as far as looking like your older brother. Does he feel like an older brother?

Pryor: [Laughs]. He carries himself like a professional and I cannot speak anymore highly of him. He carries himself like that and acts like it, so I'm looking forward to working with him.

Q: Are you determined to play quarterback in this league?

Pryor: Yes.

Q: Hue Jackson said the other day that he's going to be playing towards your strengths. What would you say some of those strengths are that he might be playing you toward?

Pryor: That's why we're out here on the practice field because I don't know what he is envisioning.

Q: At Ohio State, you did a lot of things well. What would you say those things were?

Pryor: I think a lot. It's too hard to break down to you with the time I have, but I'm sure you'll see it whenever I get on the field and have the chance.

Q: Have you been keeping up with how the Raiders have been playing and thought about how you can contribute to the offense?

Pryor: I haven't really thought much about that and they have great quarterbacks already. I'm just behind the eight ball trying to catch up and I have a lot of catching up to do.

Q: Have you watched the offense at all?

Pryor: I mean I've watched the offense sitting at home and on TV but you can't really break things down like that. You might not know if they ran the wrong route or the things like that. You can't really break things down like that because you have to be in the film room and know exactly what the plays are and see what really went wrong. You cannot just judge off the TV.

Q: How fearful were you that you would not be allowed in the supplemental draft?

Pryor: I was fearful because I didn't want to sit out a year. Things worked out for the best and I'm happy for that.

Q: What exactly did you say in your conversations with the NCAA about gifts?

Pryor: I'd prefer not to answer questions about the NCAA.

Q: Is this feeling like a fresh start both personally and professionally?

Pryor: Yes sir. I'm happy to be here, start fresh, and learn as much information as possible. I can breathe and feel a lot better. I'm happy and ready to get going.

Q: When was the last time you played something other than quarterback and how did that experience go?

Pryor: It was my freshman year and I always played running back because I had speed. I'd always get sweeps right and left. I love playing the quarterback position and I can't envision myself playing anything else.

Q:Why number 6 instead of number 2?

Pryor: Coach won't let me wear number 2 [laughs]. Why? I don't know and I'm just going off what Coach Jackson tells me.

Q: When you ran a 4.36, did you hear any talk of you being a Raider?

Pryor: No, I had no clue what was going on. I was just going through the draft process.

Q: Can you compare this challenge to anything else you've faced, because you are coming here as the number 4 quarterback and you have some movement to make?

Pryor: It's always a challenge anytime you want to go somewhere and you're not there quite yet. It is a challenge to stay where you are at and I look forward to getting better. I'm looking forward and I have a lot to learn since it is my first day.

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