Eight seconds.
That's how long one of Ohio State's 42 self-reported secondary violations lasted, reports cleveland.com.
While on vacation, Urban Meyer got a phone call from recruit Clifton Garrett; sitting next to Meyer was Tim Tebow. When Garrett found out Tebow was nearby, he asked Meyer if he could talk to Tebow for a second to wish him good luck on the upcoming season.
Well, the conversation ended up lasting eight seconds, and made it onto Ohio State's report of violations from the 2013 season to the NCAA.
"Upon receiving the call, Coach Meyer informed Garrett that he was on vacation and having lunch with friends and family, including Tim Tebow. Garrett asked Coach Meyer if he could wish Tebow good luck on the upcoming season. Coach Meyer handed the phone to Tebow and Garrett conversed with Tebow for approximately eight seconds. Coach Meyer stated that no recruiting conversation occurred, there was no intent to have Tebow recruit on behalf of Ohio State and he, in fact, did not recruit on behalf of Ohio State.
Coach Meyer reported that Garrett was not instructed to call by anyone from the Ohio State football staff and that neither he nor Tebow had any other communication with any other prospects during the lunch. Coach Meyer further indicated that Tebow has never spoken with any other prospective Ohio State student-athletes. Coach Meyer understands that the communication between Garrett and Tebow was an error on his part. However, he was adamant that it was a reflexive, courteous action rather than an intentional attempt to involve Tim Tebow in the recruiting process."
What could Tebow even have possibly said in eight seconds to ever convince someone to play at Ohio State?
"Ohio State is cool." Eight seconds right there.
I guess it did make the kid's day...
I just called Coach Meyer just ta see whats up and next thing you know I was talking on the phone to TIM TEBOW!!! #InShockRightNow #Insane!
— Clifton Garrett CG3™ (@CG340) March 9, 2013
Another secondary violation? Butt dials. Yes, butt dials.
"The coaches believe that these calls were inadvertent calls on smart phones. Six out of the seven calls were for one minute or less and the other was a two minute call or less. The coaches were unaware that the calls had taken place until the recruiting software flagged the calls in April of 2013. The inadvertent calls were not made through the recruiting software application on the coaches' phones and therefore, the coaches were unaware that the calls had occurred until the Compliance Office cross referenced the coaches' phone bills with the recruiting information in the software. Notably, the review did not find evidence of attempts to evade the phone call legislation by receiving an immediate return call from a recruit."
Someone has got to remind these coaches to hit the lock button on those iPhones!
An unreported butt dial? Death penalty.
Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel was also able to uncover a secondary violation, Tom Herman using chewing tobacco in the coaching booth.
His story for Sports Illustrated stated the following,
"A majority of the rainbow colored markers in front Herman sit unopened, although he does occasionally jot thoughts in a notebook. The 5-hour Energy also remains unopened, but Herman swigs the Diet Coke between spitting streaks of tobacco into his dip cup."
Mike Vrabel was caught by an area health teacher in 2011 for the same violation.
Oh boy.
With chewing tobacco being reported, I guess every college baseball team in America has to report this violation every season.
If the NCAA's goal was to make every school so scared of breaking the rules that they turned into ultimate tattletales, then I guess they have succeeded.
Dear NCAA,
I once took a free Gatorade from a fan during my baseball game.
Sorry.
