Ohio State football coach resigns after players ‘traded jerseys’ for tattoos and cars

Ohio State University’s Jim Tressel, one of America’s top college football coaches, has quit after several of his players allegedly traded memorabilia for services such as tattoos and car rentals.

In 2010, Terrelle Pryor, the quarterback, and five other players on his undefeated 12-1 team exchanged championship rings and uniforms for cash, breaking stringent NCAA rules.

The NCAA is especially interested in learning how Pryor has been able to afford to drive a number of high-performance vehicles since he moved to campus three years ago.

Following his resignation, former coach Tressel made the following statement: “We decided that it is best for Ohio State that I resign after meeting with university officials.”

God knows what is best for us, and we will overcome.

‘We will be Buckeyes forever.’

Tressel has been accused of lying to NCAA investigators in an attempt to conceal the code violations, for which he has already been fined $250,000 by the university.

Players who participate in the state team are not eligible to receive financial aid or benefits due to stringent NCAA regulations; as a result, star players who are about to enter the professional ranks may find it difficult to pay for necessities.

The coach, who wrote books about integrity and faith while avoiding multiple serious NCAA violations over the years, was taken aback by the revelations.

They went back to his heyday as the wildly successful coach at Youngstown State, where he captured four Division I-AA national titles, and extended to his ten years as Ohio State’s coach, during which time he finished with a 106-22 record.

The owner of a nearby tattoo parlor who was the focus of a federal drug-trafficking case allegedly gave cash and discounted tattoos to five Ohio State players in December, including standout quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

All were permitted by the NCAA to play in the Buckeyes’ 31-26 victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, with their suspensions to begin with the first game of the 2011 season