When Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel learned last spring that some of his current players were in trouble, he shared the information with someone he thought could help his star quarterback even though he said he didn't tell his bosses.
Tressel forwarded the information to Ted Sarniak, a mentor to Terrelle Pryor, after the coach received emails warning that Pryor and at least one other player had sold memorabilia to a local tattoo-parlor owner who was under federal investigation for drug trafficking, multiple sources have confirmed to The Dispatch.
Sarniak, 67, is a prominent businessman in Pryor's hometown of Jeannette, Pa. He befriended the quarterback years ago and accompanied him on recruiting trips to Ohio State and other universities.
During a news conference on March 8 to announce NCAA ethics violations by Tressel, the coach said he kept the information to himself to protect the confidentiality of the federal investigation and for the safety of his players.
But Tressel also nodded his head and said "um-hmm" when asked whether he had forwarded the emails to anyone.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith quickly intervened to prevent Tressel from answering that question about the matter currently under investigation by the NCAA. The university suspended Tressel for the first five games of the coming football season and fined him $250,000 for failing to report the information to Ohio State officials or the NCAA, but the NCAA could accept or increase the penalties when it issues a final ruling.
Pryor and four other players also have been suspended for the first five games. A sixth player has been suspended for one game.
When asked whether Tressel had passed the information to Sarniak, OSU officials said, "We are not discussing any issues relative to the case until it is resolved with the NCAA."
In a public-records request, The Dispatch asked Ohio State officials for emails involving Tressel and Sarniak, and the university is reviewing its records. So it remains unclear when Tressel forwarded emails to Sarniak, whether the businessman received them and, if he did, what happened as a result.
The Dispatch made numerous attempts to reach Sarniak for comment, both by phone and in person. His wife said the family would have no comment.
Doug Archie, OSU's director of compliance, said Sarniak served as Pryor's contact person during Ohio State's recruiting efforts but is not considered a booster.
"Mr. Sarniak and Terrelle Pryor have been friends for a number of years, and their friendship dates back prior to Terrelle's enrollment at Ohio State," Archie said in an email to The Dispatch. "As the friendship developed, Mr. Sarniak is someone who Terrelle has reached out to for advice and guidance throughout his high-school and collegiate career."
Archie said the university thoroughly examined the relationship between Sarniak and Pryor before the nation's top college recruit arrived on campus as a freshman in 2008.
"The university continues to monitor the association between the two in case any concerns arise," Archie said.
Sources said that Sarniak has served as Pryor's mentor at the request of his family, and Tressel thought that Sarniak could help counsel the quarterback after Tressel realized that Pryor was among the players involved with a man under federal investigation. Sarniak, who has owned the Jeannette Specialty Glass company since 1976, has attended some Ohio State football games in the past three years.
"Teddy has done a lot for Terrelle, and Terrelle has done a lot for Teddy," said Ray Reitz, Pryor's former coach at Jeannette High School. "Terrelle is loved back here around Jeannette, and I think he and Coach Tressel have done a helluva job at Ohio State. He is a kid and has made mistakes, but there are some people that have wanted to see Terrelle fail since he left here."
Pryor arrived at Ohio State in the summer of 2008 after leaving Jeannette, a blue-collar town cut into western Pennsylvania's foothills about 25 miles east of Pittsburgh. It is home to about 10,000 residents, many of whom have been hit hard by a depressed local economy.
Pryor was the most ballyhooed quarterback recruit for the Buckeyes since Art Schlichter in 1978. He led Jeannette to state championships in football and basketball his senior year.
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