Barring unforeseen circumstances, T.J. Pryor will leave Richmond in a few months as the most prolific quarterback in Eastern Kentucky University history.
But it's future results, not past milestones, that interest Pryor most.
Eastern Kentucky hasn't won the Ohio Valley Conference outright since 2008. It's been nearly 20 years since the Colonels have won a playoff game. That's where Pryor has his sights set going into his senior season.
"The goal is definitely to win the OVC, but we want to go farther," Pryor said. "EKU hasn't won a playoff game since '94. We had a chance last year but we couldn't do it. So to give our fans, our supporters that edge like, 'They might be back.' That's our expectation."
A mix of returning starters and senior leadership has them dreaming big in Richmond. But those seniors are thinking about more than just this season.
Wide receiver Tyron Goard, who caught 11 touchdown passes last season, wants to show that "EKU can still be a powerhouse."
Pryor shares that long-term approach.
"We could start our own legacy by winning that first playoff game (since 1994)," he said. "Next year, they'll have 20, 25 seniors. And that could be crazy. They could build on whatever we do. And it just goes farther and farther."
Pryor, a four-year starter, will leave a legacy of some sort. The Louisville native needs 62 completions, 128 attempts, 622 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes to break the school record in each of those categories.
EKU Coach Dean Hood said of the records: "I don't think about it a lick." And of Pryor: "There's no prima donna in him whatsoever."
His teammates agree that Pryor puts team over self, and the quarterback is quick to spread the credit, even if he admits to giving the milestones more thought than his coach.
"I actually think about it a lot, because it's a way to leave my mark here," Pryor said. "But when you look at the (records), it shouldn't say, 'T.J. Pryor had this many passing yards.' It should say, 'T.J. Pryor and the offensive line had this many yards. T.J. Pryor and the receivers, the running backs had this many yards.' We did all this together."
It hasn't always been easy. Pryor's freshman year marked EKU's first losing season since 1972. The Colonels missed the playoffs again in 2010. Then came last year's 1-3 start amid a rocky transition from a spread offense to a pro-style attack, which caught Pryor off guard.
"I hated it," he said.
But once he and his teammates adjusted, the Colonels rolled. They won six of their last seven games before losing in the first round of the playoffs to James Madison on a last-second field goal.
That loss extended EKU's run of no playoff wins. It also gave Pryor some extra motivation.
"We want to win the national championship. OVC should be a small goal. We want the big one."
Ben Roberts Twitter: @NextCats. Blog: ukrecruiting.bloginky.com
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