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UF Mystery Solved; Plant High Player Admits To Mishap
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Published: April 16, 2008
TAMPA - Gator Nation, the mystery is solved. It was Plant High tight end Orson Charles who broke your 2006 BCS National Championship trophy Friday in Gainesville.
It was, of course, an accident. And Charles said he is genuinely sorry for knocking the handcrafted Waterford crystal off a coffee table and onto the ground, where, just outside of Coach Urban Meyer's office, it shattered.
While in Gainesville competing in a Nike training camp, Charles said he and another prep player were touring the football stadium. That's where the BCS trophy, along with Gators quarterback Tim Tebow's Heisman Trophy, were on display. While leaning over to take a photo of the Heisman, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Charles said he bumped into the BCS trophy - he thinks with his backside - and knocked it to the ground.
"If you were outside the stadium, it was so loud, I think you would've heard it shatter," Charles said. "Nobody said anything for 10 minutes, then Florida assistant Coach John Hevesy said, 'What do I do? Who do I call? Did you know that was $35,000!'
"I just stood there with this baby look and said, 'Sorry.' Then he joked and said, 'You've got to commit to Florida now.'"
Charles, who will be a senior at Plant next season, has 16 Division I offers. He ranks Miami first on his list, but shortly after breaking the crystal he said Meyer joked about the mishap by asking, "How does it feel to be a Gator?" Charles said Meyer assured him insurance will replace the trophy.
Before Charles broke the trophy, Plant coach Robert Weiner said Meyer asked him to describe Charles. Weiner told Meyer that Charles was a "physical specimen" but sometimes a "bull in a china shop."
"After what happened," Weiner said, "I'm sure Urban now thinks I'm an excellent evaluator of talent."
Reporter Bill Ward can be reached at (813) 259-7456 or wward@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( Longball ) on April 16, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Now playing TE for the Gators, Orson "The Bull" Charles
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Posted by ( clustermonkey ) on April 16, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
That was a funny story, I liked it. If he didn't have a nickname before, I bet you he has one now.
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Posted by ( msgmkr ) on April 16, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
That is the funniest story! I can only imagine his eyes the size of saucers and how mortified the poor kid was as the trophy started to tumble...NOOooooo! hahaha.
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Posted by ( FloridianRobert ) on April 16, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Just goes to prove that accidents will happen. Don't sweat it Charles cause the Gators will win many more just like that one!
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Posted by ( SABRECANE ) on April 16, 2008 at 12:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Ha Ha.
Serves Urban "liar" Meyer right. That what you get when you lie to recruits about how you won a National Championship, We all know that Zook recruited and stocked that team with the talent it had. Don't try and pass others accomplishments off as your own. Karma is B*&%H. I guess since Marve smashed on TeBags passing records, Orson thought it was cool to smash the rest. It's a cane thang, you wouldn't understand...
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Posted by ( texigator ) on April 16, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
SABRECANE, jealousy is a terrible thing. It must really suck rooting for a team that is living in the past, one that gets beaten by a HORRIBLE Nole team, one that has an idiot for a coach. And you want to talk about "lying" to a recruit? What about Randy Shannon lying about his best friend getting shot in Gainesville? But go ahead and root for your thug team that no one cares about anymore. Go watch them in half filled stadiums (at least you won't have to worry about getting shot while entering the new one).
And get ready to have your butt handed to ya on Sept 8.
BTW, most of us honest citizens DON'T understand the THUG, I mean CANE Thing. You're right about that.
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Posted by ( FLBachelor ) on April 16, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Sabrecane- He didn't take his helmet off and hit the trophy with it on the field during a game, right? THAT'S the way it gets done down there. But what am I saying, you'd have to actually have recruits come there to have this kind of accident happen...
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Posted by ( Juicehead ) on April 16, 2008 at 2:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
HA HA MOTHER FREAKIN HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
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Posted by ( td_6 ) on April 16, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
TEXIGATOR...you're an idiot. First, Miami beat FSU this past season. Strike 1. Second, Miami plays the "finally won another champhionship" Gators on Sept 6th, not 8th. Strike 2. And how are you gonna call UM players THUGS when Brandon James, Ronnie Wilson, Tony Joiner,Dustin Doe, Jamar Hornsby, Dorian Munroe, John Curtis & Jacques Rickerson were all arrested last year & Marcus Thomas was dismissed from the team for failing 3 drug test? That's Strike 3. UM always gets the bad rep but other schools are right there with recruting outstanding citizens. How about you know what you are talking about before you try to sound cool.
BTW Miami was the #4 recruiting class this year, where was UF??
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Posted by ( ldsfanatic ) on April 16, 2008 at 3:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
U.S.F. was clearly the dominant school in Florida last year anyway, so what are you all arguing about?
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Posted by ( Mentallyvexed ) on April 16, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I would like to say that I am a Canes fan and clearly don't understand where this whole "thug" crap comes from. Shut up, do your school work and play football. Try to step ABOVE all that 'thug' image and become a role model, viable citizen and a respectable human being. As for the Cane fan saying Meyer was lying about winning a championship, well, he did. Try to argue all you want, but he coached the team that won. You can't argue that at all.
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Posted by ( mr_hanky ) on April 16, 2008 at 4:23 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Puts a new spin on "You break it, you bought it".
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Posted by ( kimbo ) on April 16, 2008 at 4:41 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Gator Got Big Tail Ends.
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Posted by ( 91stormvet ) on April 16, 2008 at 5:10 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by ( zteam55 ) on April 16, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
memo to Orson Charles: Open your freeking eyes and watch where your walking boy! One other thing, don't touch it again!! Good thing it was insured, gator fan would be reaching for the super glue.
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Posted by ( jhagman99 ) on April 16, 2008 at 5:56 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
"BTW Miami was the #4 recruiting class this year, where was UF??"
According to Rivals, #3.
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Posted by ( tbleu ) on April 17, 2008 at 12:44 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Man, when this story broke, it should have been titled "Gators Drop The Ball"
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Posted by ( td_6 ) on April 17, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Well if you want to look at different polls, Espn has Miami at #1 and UF at #4 and Scout.com has Miami at #3 and UF at #12. So two out of three have Miami higher..
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Posted by ( OriginalJud ) on April 17, 2008 at 8:54 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Aw shucks Barney ahuh ahuh
Im a goofy gator yeah, your a goofy gator yeah, goofy goofy goofy goober yeaH!
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Posted by ( altedbaseball ) on April 17, 2008 at 8:58 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
dummygator, oops, i meant texigator............
talk about living in the past, calling miami university "thugs." that is definitely living in the past if you're comparing recent police blotters between um and uf.
also, i like the past. it has given UF 2 rings, and MIAMI 5.........that's right baby, 5!!!!!
come on now, meyer is on his own with recruiting. you are the same type of fan that rips gruden for winning with dungy's team, but can't realize the same situation with myer.
you can not see the forest in spite of the trees.........................
GO CANES!!!
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Posted by ( gatormb ) on April 17, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
All football teams have 'difficult' players. In the first two years Urban Meyer dismissed over 25 players. He requires maximum effort in the classroom, on the field and personal behavior that people want to emulate. It's not one strike and you're out, but if not corrected he will help you pack. His doghouse is not easy to get out of.
I do remember Warren Sapp (a Cane) falling way down in the draft when it surfaced that he had failed 3 drug tests while at Miami. Guess what? He didn't miss a game.
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Posted by ( Wizardry82 ) on April 17, 2008 at 3:59 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Maybe if UF had won either of its titles by actually having to face FSU and Miami in the same season it would have some relevance to the discussions above.
UF declined to face the 'Canes from 1988-2000 during a time in which Miami won 2 national titles, FSU won 2 national titles, and both programs were consistently ranked Top 5 at the end of every season.
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Posted by ( BrassBowldotOrg ) on April 17, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Why was the trophy sitting on a table? Seems to me that something of that value should have been in a case.
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Posted by ( cbrick ) on April 18, 2008 at 1:42 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wizardry82. Hell no UF didnt wanna play the Canes back then. Do you have any idea how much bullet-proof vests were back then?
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Posted by ( gatormb ) on April 18, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wiz, read carefully and you'll understand why UF didn't play Miami. The SEC expanded and went to a conference championship game. The NCAA had a maximum 12 game season + bowl game. 12-1 (possible SEC championship game) = 11. UF plays 8 conference games plus FSU = 9 of the 11 regular season games allowed. UF plays Georgia in Jacksonville which leaves the other 8 games 4 at home, 4 away. Every major college team must play at least 6 home games to meet their athletic budget which means the other 2 games allowed must be played in Gainesville. UF told Miami they would play them every year, in Gainesville. I don't blame Miami for declining. This explains why UF always has the two "warmups" at the beginning of the year. Tough to get a high quality opponent only to come to your place. They want a home and home series. Now that the NCAA allows 13 games we are playing Miami again.
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Posted by ( ad ) on April 18, 2008 at 8:12 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
He accepted personal responsibility for his actions. So many would have stood there and insisted it was someone else's fault, or the table was broken. This could be quite a guy to watch.
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Posted by ( jhogbballer ) on April 18, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
sounds like a bunch of front runners... ive been a gator fan all my life i dont reaally care how many championships they won... im not saying anything about miami, this article became an argument about whos number 1... well guess ill add this gators got it next this year.
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Posted by ( altedbaseball ) on April 18, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
gatormb...................
your explanation is straight from the law library at UF. that is fine, and dandy. however, in the REAL life of a sports fan, it's called being COWARDS;
that's UF.............
you ran from MIAMI, and now, hoping not to get manhandled again.
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Posted by ( pokethefire ) on April 18, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Seems like UF should invest a couple bucks into a trophy case. I mean what are the chances that someone would knock into a coffee table! Flor-duh!
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Posted by ( Jodi ) on April 18, 2008 at 8:05 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
He thinks that he bumped into it with his backside? He must have a pretty big backside if he didn't feel it. LOL!
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