Injured Bama star had to pay school to use photo of his own highlight

Former Alabama wide receiver Tyrone Prothro was on the witness stand Wednesday at the O’Bannon trial, where he gave insight into his experience while playing for the Crimson Tide.

Prothro made one of the greatest catches in recent college football history when he caught a pass behind the back of a Southern Miss defender. The catch won the university $100,000 toward its scholarship fund at the 2006 ESPY Awards.

After his career, Prothro wanted to write a book about the catch and include pictures. However, he said Wednesday that Alabama made him pay $10 for a photo, since he did not have the rights to the image of himself.

Prothro was a star player at Alabama and seemed destined to play in the NFL after college. However, he suffered a gruesome leg injury that required 10 surgeries and never made it in the pros. He’s now an account manager with Coca-Cola. Even though Prothro had a full scholarship, he had to take out $10,000 in student loans to pay for amenities that scholarships don’t cover. However, he could not pay those back as planned, because of his injuries.

If the O’Bannon plaintiffs prevail against the NCAA, athletes in Prothro’s position would likely receive licensing money when their likenesses are used in promotional images (potentially including photos like the one Prothro had to pay to use), as well as extra money that could be used to pay back loans or make it so loans are not necessary for college players.