JEANNETTE -- Terrelle Pryor showed up a few summers ago on basketball courts in Homestead, a small town where the rims are rustier than the train tracks that sit near the Monongahela River.
At the time he was one of 300 players who were part of Project C.H.U.C.K., a program run by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch designed to uplift community children.
Since, Pryor's blossomed into the top recruit in the country, and Batch has been there every step along the way of a heated recruiting battle.
With Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State all trying to ensure the dual-threat quarterback lands on their campus this fall, Batch has stepped in to help settle the chaos that comes along with college recruiting.
"Charlie coming into the picture has added normalcy for Terrelle," Jeannette coach Ray Reitz said.
Batch's role has been to question the schools on their development of Pryor and elicit other information to lay out the pros and cons of each situation.
As a former college quarterback who has been through the hoops and hurdles of selecting a college, Batch offers wisdom gained while playing football at the next level. Batch says that after Pryor has asked his questions, it is his job to step in and ask some of the 'tough questions.'
After each school, Batch converses with Pryor to lay out the advantages and disadvantages of each school.
Though he has been side by side with Terrelle throughout the recruiting process, Batch is adamant that it is strictly Pryor's decision, and he is there simply to offer a seasoned player's advice.
"His decision is basically going to decide the next four years where he spends his time at," Batch said. "I don't want him saying, 'There was information out there I did not receive before I made my decision.' "
Even with Batch's presence, the high school years have been anything but normal for Pryor.
While other high schoolers quietly enjoy movies or trips to a local diner, where the desolate atmosphere of the town is shielded inside the teen hot spot, a circus follows Pryor into the public eye.
"Everywhere he goes, somebody's a West Virginia fan, a Michigan fan, a Pitt fan, a Penn State fan," Reitz said. "Everybody is coming in. ... I think it muddies the water."
Enter Batch, an 11-year pro whose experiences offer a unique perspective in the recruiting process.
"With them understanding I've been through it, they can't sell me the bunch of bull that could possibly be sold," Batch said. "I asked the honest questions and I expect an honest answer."
Batch counseled other western Pennsylvania recruits in the past, including Pitt freshman basketball player DeJuan Blair and New Mexico State freshman basketball player Herb Pope, but the hoopla surrounding Pryor is unparalleled.
Despite Batch's status as an NFL player and someone who gives back to the community, his involvement hasn't always been met with open arms.
"I'm welcomed in some situations and some situations I'm not," he said. "Those situations I'm not, that's why I'm here."
Batch declined to elaborate, only saying his dealings with Pryor's four finalists have been positive.
None, though, have turned their attention to charming Batch, whose endorsement of one of Pryor's finalists could help sway the 18 year old's decision.
"Now if Eastern Michigan was in his top
five, then absolutely," Batch said, chuckling. "I'll be selling my alma mater when it comes to that."
