Considered the most recruited high school football-basketball athlete in southwestern Pennsylvania since Tom Clements,[2] Pryor was widely regarded as the nation's top football prospect of 2008 and was named "Junior of the Year" by Rivals.com.

[3] Pryor had originally hoped to be a two-sport athlete, as he was also one of the nation's most recruited high school basketball players, but he later chose football.

His college career was marred by several suspensions and accusations of selling memorabilia and led to his eventual withdrawal from the university.

He then played quarterback for the Raiders from 2011 to 2013 and later spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and Cincinnati Bengals.

He converted full-time to wide receiver with the Cleveland Browns in 2015 and played that position for the Washington Redskins, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

During his junior year, he led the Jayhawks to their first Pennsylvania PIAA Class "AA" state football championship game where they lost to the Warriors of Wilson Area High School.

The following week, Pryor led the Jayhawks to their first-ever Pennsylvania state championship by defeating the Dunmore Bucks, 49–21.

Throughout his high school career, Pryor acquired numerous scholarship offers, initially committing to the hometown University of Pittsburgh to play basketball under coach Jamie Dixon.

[22] On September 20, 2008, Pryor threw for a freshman school-record four touchdowns and one interception in his first career start for Ohio State.

[23] On October 4, 2008, Pryor ran for the winning touchdown against Wisconsin on an option play with running back Chris "Beanie" Wells.

[31] After starting the season slow, he eventually developed into a better passer, and went on to earn the 2010 Rose Bowl MVP trophy after leading Ohio State to a 26–17 victory over Oregon.

[39] On December 23, 2010, the NCAA ruled that Pryor and four of his teammates would be suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season, as a sanction for selling memorabilia.

[40] This suspension did not involve the controversial decision to allow Pryor and his teammates to participate in the university's season-ending Sugar Bowl game on January 4, 2011.

[63] Pryor held his Pro Day on August 20, 2011, in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where representatives from 17 NFL teams were present, including the Oakland Raiders.

[66] Some scouts noted that the turf Pryor ran on was soft, and that he would have been even faster on a harder surface like those found in the NFL.

The Oakland Raiders selected Pryor in the third round of the 2011 supplemental draft on August 22, 2011;[67][68] he was the last pick longtime owner Al Davis made in his tenure with the Raiders, thus ending the Al Davis "speed era" including players Bo Jackson, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Cliff Branch among others.

He lined up at the wide receiver spot, motioned behind center and ran a quarterback sneak, although the play was nullified due to a false start penalty on Pryor.

[71] Pryor sat out for most of the 2012 season; however, one of his few appearances was a 22-yard reception thrown by Carson Palmer in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers.

[74] Following Palmer's trade to the Arizona Cardinals, Pryor was expected to compete with newly acquired quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Tyler Wilson for the Raiders' starting job in 2013.

[83] Following an early interception against Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, Pryor responded with a 44-yard touchdown strike to wideout Rod Streater.

In the second quarter, Pryor helped guide the Raiders to a field goal, which gave his team its first 17–0 lead at home since 2002.

Late in the fourth quarter, Pryor turned what looked to be an easy sack on third down into a 20-yard completion to Brice Butler, which led to a 50-yard field goal and sealed a 27–17 Raiders victory.

[citation needed] Pryor was sacked 10 times in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6; he also threw three interceptions in the game.

[86] In Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pryor opened the game with a 93-yard run for touchdown, the longest in NFL history for a quarterback.

[95] After his release from the Seahawks, Pryor worked out for the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins, but did not sign a contract with any team.

[99] The day after being cut by the Bengals, Pryor announced through his agent that he was open to switching his position to wide receiver.

[100] The Cleveland Browns claimed Pryor off waivers on June 22, 2015,[101] and he made the team's final 53-man squad on September 5,[102] but he was waived five days later.

[127] Pryor was stabbed in the neck and chest early on November 29, 2019, during an incident with Shalaya Briston at the Heinz Loft Apartments in Pittsburgh.

The two "mutual combatants in the incident" were each subsequently charged with assault, according to the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, after Pryor arrived at UPMC Mercy in critical condition from stab wounds.