NFL roundup: Pryor tells SI he sold clothes to help mother

Terrelle Pryor sold his sports memorabilia at Ohio State to get money to help his family, he said in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

Now with the Oakland Raiders, Pryor received a five-game suspension during his final season, and openly discussed why he made those decisions.

"The reason why I did it was to pay my mother's gas bill and some of her rent," Pryor told Sports Illustrated. "She was four months behind, and the (landlord) was so nice because he was an Ohio State fan. He gave her the benefit of the doubt and she said, 'My son will pay you back sometime if you just let me pay you back during my work sessions.' She ended up losing her job, and she and my sister lived there.

"Let me remind you it was freezing cold in November, December and she's using the oven as heat. That's what I did as a kid. I was telling the NCAA, 'Please, anything that you can do. I gave my mother this so my sister wouldn't be cold, so my mother wouldn't be cold.' They didn't have any sympathy for me."

Pryor said he has receipts to prove that the money went toward the family's bills and not personal use.

"Whenever I write my book, the proof will be in there, the receipt that the money I gave my mother was to pay the electric and heat bill," Pryor told the magazine. "The truth is going to come out one day when the time is right. I don't think I deserved (being punished) in that way, because of the reason I was doing it. I felt like I was doing God's work in a way, and I was getting driven into the ground."

After his suspension, Pryor decided to enter the NFL supplemental draft, and was selected by the Raiders. Later, he was banned from associating with his alma mater for five years.

The experience affected him.

"It was humbling," Pryor told Sports Illustrated. "A mistake I made when I was a freshman by selling my pants for $3,000 just took away everything from me. I was just driven into the ground. I was the worst person in the world. My face popped up on the screen, and it seemed like I was the only one who did anything. I was the only one who was getting attacked."

---The Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys are expected to appear Thursday before an NFL arbitrator, who will hear arguments challenging the league-imposed salary cap reductions, according to a Washington Post report.

People familiar with the case told the paper recently that arbiter Stephen Burbank is unlikely to make an immediate ruling.

The hearing is expected to occur at the University of Pennsylvania law school in Philadelphia, where Burbank works as a law professor. He is also tasked with resolving disputes that arise from the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.

The NFL imposed a $36 million salary cap reduction over two years on the Redskins, at least half of which must be absorbed this season. The Cowboys received a $10 million cap reduction over two years. The reductions were imposed for the way in which the teams structured players' contracts during the 2010, non-capped season.

The Redskins and Cowboys have denied wrongdoing in the case and have cited that all of the contracts were approved by the league at the time.

---Former San Diego Chargers stars Dan Fouts, Rodney Harrison and LaDainian Tomlinson are among those expected to speak at a Friday memorial service for Junior Seau at Qualcomm Stadium.

Seau committed suicide May 2. He spent 20 seasons in the NFL, the first 13 with the Chargers. Harrison and Tomlinson were teammates of Seau's with the Chargers.

Former Chargers coach Bobby Ross, who coached Seau from 1992-96, is also expected to speak.

---Jason La Canfora is leaving the NFL Network to become a reporter on The NFL Today, the CBS Sunday morning pregame show, according to a NBC Sports report.

Former Redskins and Texans General Manager Charley Casserly isn't returning to the program. The remaining CBS studio personnel, with host James Brown and analysts Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher, will remain.

--Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da'Quan Bowers tore an Achilles tendon during offseason workouts and is scheduled to have surgery Friday, according to the team.

A 2011 second-round draft pick, Bowers vowed via Twitter on Thursday to play this season, as opposed to not being ready to play until 2013.

Bowers played in 16 games and made six starts in 2011. He made 25 tackles, defended four passes and picked up 1.5 sacks.

-- The Denver Broncos agreed to terms with free-agent cornerback Drayton Florence on Thursday, the team announced.

Florence, 6 foot, 193 pounds, has played 136 regular-season games in his nine-year career. He played for San Diego from 2003-07, Jacksonville in 2008, and Buffalo from 2009-11.

He's made 425 tackles, 17 interceptions, forced three fumbles and recovered five. Florence has also played five postseason games and made 21 tackles in those.

The Chargers selected Florence in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft out of Div. II Tuskagee University.