Byron Pringle

... No two prospects take the same exact path to the NFL. And that is especially true with Pringle who has been able to overcome multiple mistakes from his youth to have a chance at a pro career. When he was only 16-years old, Pringle was arrested and charged with multiple felonies for a series of crimes (July 2010), including burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and grand theft. He was sentenced to four year’s probation and 100 hours of community service, also missing his junior season of high school football. Enter, Youngstown State. The FCS-level program gave him an opportunity as a grayshirt, but he was arrested again for sudden snatching. Although the charges were later dismissed, the damage was done and he was dismissed from the program. After time at Butler Community College, Pringle receive another chance at Kansas State where he lined up primarily as an outside receiver as the Wildcats No. 1 receiving option, leading the team in receiving yards in his two seasons in Manhattan. On the field, Pringle has frustrating drops, but his athleticism shows mid-route and at the catch point to make impressive grabs. He has only played organized football in four of the last eight years and his inexperience shows, lacking technical refinement and consistency of a seasoned player. Pringle’s off-field baggage and character require extensive examination, but his maturity now as a 24-year old is much different according to his coaches. Butler head coach Tim Schaffner (“he was a great leader for us.”) and Kansa State Bill Snyder (“he convinced me he would be the type of guy we want in our program, and he has been every part of that.”) both vouch for him as a person. BACKGROUND A no-star wide receiver recruit out of high school, Byron Pringle missed his entire junior season at Robinson after he was arrested on felony charges, which scared off most FBS and FCS programs. He returned for his senior season and earned all-state honors as a receiver and return man, drawing two FCS-level scholarship offers: Youngstown State and Bethune Cookman. Pringle signed with YSU in 2012 as a grayshirt, delaying enrollment for one year, but he was dismissed from the program following another arrest in 2013. He enrolled at Butler Community College and redshirted in 2014, marking his third straight season of not playing football (and fourth in five years). Pringle found the field in 2015 and posted 28 catches, 432 yards and nine touchdowns, becoming a three-star JUCO recruit. With his criminal past, Pringle had few options, but Snyder invested a lot of time and resources to get to know the receiver, ultimately offering him a scholarship. He started all 13 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2016 and recorded a team-best 631 receiving yards and four scores, earning First Team All-Big 12 honors as a kick returner. Pringle set career-bests as a junior with 724 yards receiving and six touchdown grabs in 2017, earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.