Terrelle Pryor uses local workout sessions to prepare for debut with Redskins
A desire to improve and keep his pro football career afloat is what pushes Terrelle Pryor.
Well, that and an outright obsession to be the best pass-catching threat in the NFL — that's his real motivation.
It's why he wears sweatsuits and wind gear on 90-degree days as he sprints around cones, tiptoes through hopscotch ladders and runs routes.
It's why the former Jeannette and Ohio State star, cut by four pro teams, doesn't get complacent or expect things to be handed to him as he begins his next quest in the NFL, with his sixth team.
And the newest Washington Redskins wide receiver doesn't keep the grinding workouts all to himself. Pryor has become known for posting video clips of his drills on social media, mainly Twitter and Instagram.
This pro career is far from over. In fact, from Pryor's vantage point, it's just beginning. But he doesn't want to take the easy route.
"People ask me about training," Pryor said. "They say, 'What days do you go?' I tell them, 'Every day. There are no days off. I know there is somebody out there right now working to stop me.' "
Despite a fresh, one-year, $8 million contract that came with a $3 million signing bonus, Pryor, in impeccable shape and "The best I have felt," continues to push himself.
"It means everything," he said. "Every day I wake up, whether it's with my son or my girlfriend, whoever, it's challenging myself and challenging people. Whether its football, every day life, relationships; you strive to get better."
Primed for what could be his best season at receiver since he switched from quarterback, Pryor, 28, could be in line for a much larger pay day with a big season. He will look to pick up the production that will be missed with the departure of DeSean Jackson (Buccaneers) and Pierre Garcon (49ers).
Until then, he'll relish the monotonous fundamentals, many of which he learned from Tim Cortazzo, one of the owners of FSQ Sports Training out of Level Green. That includes catching tennis balls and stretching out resistance bands, also part of strict workouts conducted at Penn-Trafford, Gateway or FSQ.
The acronym, by the way, stands for First Step Quickness, apropos for Cortazzo's connection to Pryor and the work-in-progress move to wideout — a move based more in necessity than versatility.
"We met by chance three years ago," said Cortazzo, a former standout receiver at Penn-Trafford and Toledo, and a former coach at IUP, Duquesne and Ohio State (after Pryor left). "We were training one morning at P-T and Terrelle was setting up cones. I asked if he wanted some help. He was raw. We ran some routes and when we finished he said, 'What are you doing tomorrow?' It kind of took off from there."
Cortazzo already knew Pryor. The duo played seven-on-seven against each other in high school, and even went head-to-head in college when Ohio State played Toledo.
That fortuitous reunion, however, set up a trainer-player relationship that has helped mold Pryor into something many said he couldn't be: a receiver in the pros.
"We made it pretty simple in the beginning," Cortazzo said. "I mean it was what I might teach a 10-year-old to start. It was like working with a blank canvas. Terrelle's route-running is incredible. He was a freak athlete; he could run and jump and all that. But he couldn't figure out how to control his body."
Cortazzo's goal was to find, feed and nurture Pryor's inner wide receiver. He likened the opportunity to building a car around a great engine.
Cortazzo and Pryor often talk or Facetime "for hours," Cortazzo said, to go over what they worked on that day as they try to perfect the basics.
"These are just routes," Cortazzo said. "He needs to be able to take it to the field," where, Pryor said, "It gets more violent."
Pryor, who reports to Richmond, Va., on Wednesday for a physical before joining the team for training camp Thursday, has made a full-tilt commitment to change positions and reinvent his brand.
"This is training at the highest level," said Pryor (6-foot-4, 228 pounds). "I challenge myself, and (Cortazzo) holds me to a high level every day."
Crowd Will tell you what happen but watch if you wondering !! Ifly #gr11nd pic.twitter.com/Qs8UzvSm8B
" Terrelle Pryor SR (@TerrellePryor) July 18, 2017
Pryor said the idea to post workout clips on social media came from Steelers star receiver Antonio Brown, who has done much of the same, turning behind-the-scenes time into an event. Pryor has worked out with Brown — and former all-pro receiver Randy Moss — this summer.
"Why just tell people how hard you work when you can show them?" Pryor said. "I wanted people to see how hard I work. I am going to dominate as this is a big reason why."
@TerrellePryor been waiting years for this exact scenario to create a Twitter account pic.twitter.com/WcQesGCvkx
" Alec Gongaware (@alec_gongaware) July 19, 2017
A former Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl MVP quarterback who broke the NFL record for longest run from scrimmage by a QB (93 yards against the Steelers in 2013), Terrelle Pryor is now, wide receiver Terrelle Pryor.
Once No. 8 on Cleveland's depth chart, Pryor aims to be the No. 1 guy in Washington.
Last week, Pryor posted a short video on Instagram of him making an Odell Beckham Jr.-like one-handed catch. It went viral and Pryor turned it into a challenge.
"I wake up every day looking to inspire someone," Pryor said. "And for someone to inspire me."
Pryor never seemed to have a problem generating a fan base. He was well-liked in Oakland and Cleveland and already has a considerable social-media following in Washington.
Several young fans responded with their own videos, attempting to recreate the quick snag.
"I want to do whatever I can to help kids," Pryor said. "I want to help get them off the streets; do something that changes them."
Pryor's clips are free advertising for FSQ, which works with high school teams and individuals, teaches adult fitness classes and has group workouts.
"Terrelle likes to show people what he does to get better," Cortazzo said. "It shows what we do."
Drawing attention from some of the league's top cornerbacks, Pryor caught 77 receptions for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns last season for Cleveland, which pushed numerous quarterbacks through the turnstiles — even Pryor, who played receiver, quarterback and safety in one half of a game against Miami.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.