Football Recruit Accidentally Broke Florida’s BCS Championship Trophy

By Steve

Stop the conspiracy theories: it wasn’t a jealous rival who broke the Florida Gators’ 2006 National Championship trophy.It was a prospective player, a high school tight end from Tampa, who says it was an accidental bump that destroyed the $35,000 crystal trophy last week.

Orson Charles says he was on a tour when he snapped pictures of quarterback Tim Tebow’s Heisman trophy and toppled the BCS trophy.

Coaches joked afterward that Charles would have to commit to play for Florida now. (Not really. The trophy is insured, and a new one is expected to arrive in 90 days.)

Charles’ high school coach may have given the Gators the best scouting report on him, as well as a bit of foreshadowing. He described the teen as a “bull in a china shop.” [USA Today]