Ex-Buckeyes ‘Tattoo 5’ call for reinstatement of vacated wins from 2010 season

COLUMBUS — After the NCAA approved student-athletes to have the ability to profit on their own name, image, and likeness earlier this month, a group of former Ohio State Buckeyes are asking for wins and records vacated in the 2010 season to be returned.

>>NCAA clears way for athletes to make money off name, image

Ohio State was forced to vacate all but one game of the 2010 season, including a Big Ten championship and Sugar Bowl victory, after five players were ruled ineligible. Those players, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, wide receiver DeVier Posey, defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, offensive lineman Mike Adams, and running back Dan “Boom” Herron, traded autographs for cash and tattoos and were ruled ineligible after the season.

The scandal had a domino effect and eventually led to the resignation of then head coach Jim Tressel.

But in light of the NIL rules approved last week, the “Tattoo 5″ are now requesting their records and wins be restored.

“Now that fundamental right has been granted to a new generation of athletes,” the group of five players said in a statement posted to social media. “Now that they finally have the freedom to share in some of the millions of dollars in revenue they generate for their coaches, their institutions, their conferences, and the NCAA as a whole, we would like to see our hard won accomplishments reinstated.”

“Although this could never undo what we and our families endured for breaking rules that shouldn’t have existed in the first place, we believe reinstating and acknowledging the accomplishments of ourselves and our teammates would be a huge step in the right direction.”

As part of self-imposed sanctions, the Buckeyes relinquished their 12 wins in the season and had the contributions from the five players wiped from the school’s record books. Those included top five school records in passing for Pryor, receiving for Posey, top 10 rushing from Herron, and an All-American season from Adams.

“We are calling for our school records and legacy to be restored so that Buckeye Nation can look at us with the same love and fondness that we’ve always had for them,” the players said in the statement.

“We look forward to one day telling our story and the Tattoo 5 forever being a legitimate part of Ohio State’s glorious history.”

A similar request was made earlier this month by former Southern California great Reggie Bush, who lost his 2005 Heisman Trophy following an NCAA investigation into benefits he allegedly received while as a player at USC.

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