UGA’s Orson Charles mentioned in report on NCAA violations at Miami
Georgia tight end Orson Charles has been mentioned in the mess that Yahoo! Sports is reporting about the University of Miami and its relationship with a notorious booster named Nevin Shapiro. Shapiro is a convicted felon who, in several prison interviews, claims he provided impermissible benefits to dozens of Miami players and recruits.
Charles is listed among those recruits with whom Shapiro claims to have had impermissible contact. But, on face value at least, it doesn’t look like he is anything but a bystander in all this.
The bombastic report, written by Yahoo! Sports reporter Charles Robinson, merely alleges that Charles was escorted by a Miami assistant coach to Shapiro to be given “a recruiting pitch.” As we all know, Charles rather famously signed with Georgia. Shapiro is incarcerated in federal prison in Atlanta after being convicted for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme.
Current and former Miami players and student-athletes from all over are implicated by Shapiro and other sources in the extensive report, which includes thousands of supporting documents such as bank statements, hotel folios, cell phone records and corroborating quotes from athletes. Here’s the specific passage in which Charles is mentioned (along with several other recruits):
Among the specific incidents, Shapiro or other sources say Hurtt, Hill, Stoutland, Pannunzio and Allen all delivered top-tier recruits to Shapiro’s home or luxury suite so the booster could make recruiting pitches to them. Among the players who were ushered to Shapiro while they were still in high school: Eventual Miami commitments Ray-Ray Armstrong, Dyron Dye and Olivier Vernon (prompted by Hurtt); eventual Florida commitments Andre Debose (Hurtt) and Matt Patchan (prompted by Stoutland and Pannunzio); eventual Georgia commitment Orson Charles (Pannunzio); and eventual Central Florida commitment Jeffrey Godfrey (Allen).
A hot-link on Charles’ name carries readers to a page that provides more details of on Charles and his encounter with Shapiro, including Shapiro’s account of the meeting:
“Orson Charles was a tight end out of Plant City [High School] who was Robert Marve’s teammate. And because I had a real close relationship with Robert, Robert’s high school coach, Robert Weiner, came to Miami, Marve brought him to my house and he was with Orson Charles. I showed [Charles] my closet. The reason why I show all the kids my closet is because that’s where I had like 50 to 70 UM game-worn jerseys of all the best players in the last however long. That was our first visit. I saw him a second time and I think it was a Miami football camp.”
Charles’ name is also on a list of players Shapiro mentions that appears next to the text of the story. Again, click HERE to read the entire report from Yahoo!Sports. Here’s an Associated Press story on Charles’ connection and here’s a link to The AP report about the story.
UGA officials did not return messages sent late Tuesday night seeking comment about Charles. Wednesday morning Athletic Director Greg McGarity said via email UGA is checking into it.
If and when they respond, I suspect they will say something similar to what Alabama spokesperson Doug Walker said: “The University of Alabama is aware of the story, but we will have no further comment.”
Joe Pannunzio was the tight ends and special teams coach at Miami under former head coach Randy Shannon and is now the first-year director of football operations at Alabama. Bama’s new offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland, is also implicated in the Yahoo! Sports report.
Charles, a junior from Tampa, is a preseason All-SEC first-team selection expected to be one of the Bulldogs’ main offensive weapons this season. He had 49 career receptions for 796 yards and five touchdowns.
We’ll try to sort all this out from Georgia’s end on Wednesday.
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356 comments Add your comment
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
12:21 pm
you come on a Georgia blog and bash UGA and expect some of us to not respond?
How about this?
STFU
Un-Tank
August 17th, 2011
12:21 pm
Bama Mike we all witnessed plenty of worry coming from that direction for the entire near-decade in which UA was the absolute laughing stock of the SEC. It’s only been a few short seasons since that hasn’t been the case. And now you have dirty coaches who’ve been exposed. Just when you thought you’d turned the corner. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose…
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 17th, 2011
12:22 pm
Big Ten Champs Nebraska….Dawg
August 17th, 2011
12:19 pm
That’s your best retort?
When you get to high school, they teach you better ways to respond in a hostile manner.
_______________________
Not all but many of these UGA fans are so hostile they have to come back with physical threats and untrue arguments. Some have valid points and write with compassion while understanding the others perspective. Life without a National Championship in 30 years will do that to you.
WDE
August 17th, 2011
12:22 pm
@Tide Rising your HC just hired two guys directly linked to this issue and you think that won’t impact the Tide…do you think they were hired for their smiles? If they were doing the things at the U that they are alleged to have done and had such success doing those things that they get hired by Saban and Bama on what planet to they abandon their road map for success? I’m hoping that since its it their first year they have not YET done anything to bring the NCAA to bring more focus to the Tide than Suitgate is currently generating.
dawg7
August 17th, 2011
12:22 pm
Where there is smoke, there is fire….one monkey don’t stop the show!
Tide Rising
August 17th, 2011
12:23 pm
PR
August 17th, 2011
11:47 am
No Bama Mike… Macel Dareus got a trip to Miami payed for. Airfare, lodging, etc.
PR,
Not quite. Dareus plane trip was paid for by a fellow recruit that signed with North Carolina. Supposedly Dareus paid him back cash immediately upon landing in Miami and he got a receipt from the player. The other recruit paid for the ticket because Dareus did not own a credit card. During the trip the recruit secured a hotel room for Dareus but Dareus stayed with his family because he is from Miami. Also when Dareus was brought to the party and realized it was being hosted by an agent he turned around and left. The NCAA made him pay for the hotel rooms which he didn’t use, possibly the airfare because he didn’t have the receipts, and also for what cab fare would have been and for meals of which he did partake. You should note that Dareus suspension was light because the NCAA said and I paraphrase ” Marcel Dareus was one of the most truthful and honest recruits we’ve ever interviewed”. He was very forthcoming about everything.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska....Dawg
August 17th, 2011
12:24 pm
@ Dawginlex,
UGA needs bashing as the program is going down hill. I remember when it was a top notch program with little to NO off field problems. I said in a previous post, I feel bad for you guys.
Un-Tank
August 17th, 2011
12:24 pm
“Georgia is aware of the article mentioning Orson Charles and has been in communication with the NCAA. There are no issues with UGA or eligibility issues with Orson Charles. UGA will have no further comment regarding this matter.”
‘Bout time for a new article, Chip. Put this one to bed so you can focus on a new one regarding the mess Bama suddenly finds itself in.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska....Dawg
August 17th, 2011
12:24 pm
Oh yeah……I never made this personal, you did.
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 17th, 2011
12:24 pm
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
12:21 pm
you come on a Georgia blog and bash UGA and expect some of us to not respond?
How about this?
STFU
Lex…you are better than that…the STFU statement is just an indicator that you have no argument. I have read your post and for the most part you seem to get it, but be a man, make a statement , back it up with facts and we can move on. But making the STFU is so loserist. In court you would be held in contempt.
North Georgia Dawg
August 17th, 2011
12:25 pm
Hopefully, there are some UGA alums or fans at the Federal Prison in Atlanta. I say they cast Shapiro down with the sodomites, he’ll think hes’ been banged by a train…
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
12:25 pm
When has Kneebraska accomplished anything of significance?
WDE
August 17th, 2011
12:27 pm
@Just making up reasons why UGA should win sorry little fella that dawg won’t hunt, your education is limited as your the first one to resort to calling folks punks etc. Like most cowards you talk a great game, truth is I have a fine life, family and career and my health is pretty good too. I pity you I really do please get help soon for your anger and depression issues.
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 17th, 2011
12:27 pm
Name one program in the SEC that has underperformed over the past 8 years than Georgia? One might say Tennessee, and they might be right. But overall the UGA program with NFL talent and this so called great coach everyone seems to think is god has been a major disappointment.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
12:28 pm
@North Georgia Dawg: Great idea in your 12:25 PM post.
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 17th, 2011
12:29 pm
WDE
August 17th, 2011
12:27 pm
@Just making up reasons why UGA should win sorry little fella that dawg won’t hunt, your education is limited as your the first one to resort to calling folks punks etc. Like most cowards you talk a great game, truth is I have a fine life, family and career and my health is pretty good too. I pity you I really do please get help soon for your anger and depression issues
Glad you are doing well in your own world, Congratualtions. Best wishes to you. I used the word “PUNK” when someone called me “son” and “loser” for pointing out real facts as reported in the YAHOO sports article.
WDE
August 17th, 2011
12:31 pm
@Big Ten Champs Nebraska….Dawg..sorry when did you get elected to be the person that gets to decide which programs need to be bashed…sorry I didn’t get that memo.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska....Dawg
August 17th, 2011
12:31 pm
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
12:25 pm
When has Kneebraska accomplished anything of significance?
_____________________________________________________________________________
5 national titles to start. When has UGA accomplished anything of significance?
Tide Rising
August 17th, 2011
12:31 pm
WDE,
The 2 new Bama guys have only been there since January I think or late, late last year. They haven’t even had time to do anything unscrupulous in regards to recruiting. What they did at Miami is what they did at Miami. It has no bearing on their brief time at Alabama. They also would have gotten to Bama very late in the recruiting process since recruits sign in early February and all of Bama’s targeted 2011 recruits had been recruited for a long time before the arrival of these 2. It would be nice to impossible for these guys to suddendly find a Shapiro type booster buying players in one month and put themselves at risk of offering inducements to a signing class that had already been very well put together.
Now the 2 of them could very well be personally sanctioned by the NCAA and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Bama has to fire them based upon these serious allegations. But again that would affect these guys personally- not Alabama.
Incidentally it has also been reported that Yahoo sports is the one that is also working on breaking a big story on Cam Newton, the supposed money bag man, etc. Not saying that’s true or not but as was verified by the vp of enforcement herself to Chizik at the NCAA meetings the Cam Newton investigation is ongoing.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 17th, 2011
12:33 pm
AJ Greene was reported to be at a party in S. Beach last year.
He was cleared of that but the investigation exposed the jersey situation.
Bama Mike
August 17th, 2011
12:34 pm
Un-Tank
True there was a little blip on the “Dominate O’Meter” but all is once again right in the world with the Sabanator. We will continue our conquest by capturing your stadiums and taking all your vodka. Keep the Dawg or whatever you call him, her or it.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
12:35 pm
Since when is a “Big 10 Champ[onship” anything to gloat about?
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 17th, 2011
12:36 pm
When was the last time Nebraska accomplished anything?
Are you kidding me?
1994, 1995, 1997 National Championships.
I am a SEC fan first, but I have been to some Nebraska games and the folks there are very very nice to their visitors, and treat them like guest in their home. They do not bark at them and try to intimidate a fan just there to watch a game. And they should compete for the Big 10 Title in their first year in conference play.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
12:36 pm
Bama Mike: Where does Bama keep their “Red Elephants”?
Tide Rising
August 17th, 2011
12:36 pm
Brainiac,
Sorry dude but for a bulldogs fan to take a shot at an esteemed program like Nebraska is laughable. They were the single most dominant football team of the 90s with 3 national titles in 4 years and if not for a missed field goal in the 93 orange bowl it would have been 4 national titles in 5 years. They are also one of the top 5 or 6 winningest programs of all time and 2nd or 3rd all time in bowl success behing Alabama and maybe one other program. Alltime winning % I believe they are also top 5 and most certainly top 7 or 8.
North Georgia Dawg
August 17th, 2011
12:37 pm
College football has always been this way. It is out of control and the NCAA (Without Subpeona Power) cannot control it. This type of crap goes on at every major college football program including (I hate to say it) UGA. I think everyone is just in denial! Without the internet and the free flowing information age we would still be clueless as to what goes on during the recruiting process. My personal opinion is who cares! I am just tired of reading about it. I just want to see the team I expect UGA to be play a game without losing a player to this type of BS! I thought AJ got a raw deal last year and you can probably blame that on our poor start. Someone needs to use 2 sticks of dynamite and blow the whole thing up and start over… New Conferences, New Rules, New Play-offs!!! Let the revolution begin!
Tide Rising
August 17th, 2011
12:38 pm
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
12:35 pm
Since when is a “Liberty bowl loss to Central florida” anything to gloat about?
Brainiac,
I took the liberty of fixing your typos for you.
WDE
August 17th, 2011
12:39 pm
@Tide Rising that is my hope that they didn’t have time to do any damage..because I’m afraid they would. I have nothing to say about Cam and Auburn..too much said already.Oh and NCBF report just in NCAA has cleared Charles to play…
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 17th, 2011
12:39 pm
North Georgia Dawg
August 17th, 2011
12:37 pm
College football has always been this way. It is out of control and the NCAA (Without Subpeona Power) cannot control it. This type of crap goes on at every major college football program including (I hate to say it) UGA. I think everyone is just in denial! Without the internet and the free flowing information age we would still be clueless as to what goes on during the recruiting process. My personal opinion is who cares! I am just tired of reading about it. I just want to see the team I expect UGA to be play a game without losing a player to this type of BS! I thought AJ got a raw deal last year and you can probably blame that on our poor start. Someone needs to use 2 sticks of dynamite and blow the whole thing up and start over… New Conferences, New Rules, New Play-offs!!! Let the revolution begin!
***************************************************************************************************
5 star post of the day. Very well written by a level headed Dawg Fan..WELL Done SIR!
Bama Mike
August 17th, 2011
12:40 pm
Brainiac
With the gray Elephants in the paint shop. The “Roll Tide” can be found at White Water, Disney World and usually at any Georgia “Black Out” function or gathering.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
12:40 pm
@Just making up reas…………. You are talking about the last century. Those are over 15 to 20 years ago. How about smething that has happed in the current century.
WDE
August 17th, 2011
12:43 pm
@Just making up reasons why UGA should win…just please get help I hear a tortured soul in need every time you post your pain is writ large on the page.
AltamahaDawg
August 17th, 2011
12:49 pm
NOPE , you call people “punk” because you get your panties in a wad if they made a joke at your expence.
(followed by some uncomprehandable rant about lilly white acedemics)
The you follew that up by saying thier very logical siojmple answer than you cannot dispute, is the “Dumbest of the day”
But youu justy keep on lecturing people about being a man, and how much better they should be than personal insults and over exagerated responses.
Tide Rising
August 17th, 2011
12:49 pm
Un-Tank
August 17th, 2011
12:21 pm
Bama Mike we all witnessed plenty of worry coming from that direction for the entire near-decade in which UA was the absolute laughing stock of the SEC. It’s only been a few short seasons since that hasn’t been the case
Un-Tank,
Being a charitable man I also feel I have the duty to help the truly ignorant like yourself. So lets begin. Bama was absent for a near-decade? Huh? Are you just stupid? The last year Bama didn’t go bowling was way back in 2003. In 99 we won the sec and went to the orange bowl. The next 5 years was well below Bama standards due to the probation of the early 2000s but even then we posted 10 win seasons in 02 and 05 including a Cotton bowl win over Texas tech. In 05 we also spent the majority of the season ranked in the top 5 including several weeks perched at no. 3. 06 and 07 were average years where we still went bowling. For the past 3 years from 08 through 2010 we have won 10 games or more each year, finished top 10, and have been ranked no. 1 in each of those seasons for several weeks at a time. You should learn some recent football history before spouting off at the mouth.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska....Welfare freeloader
August 17th, 2011
12:52 pm
AltamahaDawg
August 17th, 2011
12:49 pm
NOPE , you call people “punk” because you get your panties in a wad if they made a joke at your expence.
(followed by some uncomprehandable rant about lilly white acedemics)
The you follew that up by saying thier very logical siojmple answer than you cannot dispute, is the “Dumbest of the day”
But youu justy keep on lecturing people about being a man, and how much better they should be than personal insults and over exagerated responses.
______________________________________________________________________________
Speaking of comprehensible rant.
Expence? acedemics? Follew? Justy?
North Georgia Dawg
August 17th, 2011
12:54 pm
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 17th, 2011
12:39 pm
My pleasure!
I know 90% of the people on here should be working and not raving about all of the hype that comes with College Football. However, we love it this way (at least I think so). We can gripe and complain about this all we want but do we really think it will ever change??? I really doubt it. Look at our government… It’s the same thing but just at a larger scale. There is WAY too much money involved in college sports (and government for that matter) for it ever to be fixed (at least in reasonable time frame). We only have ourselves to blame for all of this. If we (as fans) didnt pay for jerseys, tickets, beer, pizza and whatever else you can think of that drives a College Sporting event we would’nt even be discussing it. This is the monster we created I guess we just have to live with it.
SprayDawg Out!
Tide Rising
August 17th, 2011
12:54 pm
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
12:40 pm
@Just making up reas…………. You are talking about the last century. Those are over 15 to 20 years ago. How about smething that has happed in the current century.
Brainiac,
Nebraska played in the national championship game in 2001 which is in the last decade and in the 2000s. When is the last you time you played in the national championship game???
AltamahaDawg
August 17th, 2011
12:55 pm
yes, I could have taken the 15 seconds to run an edit, but I didn’t think we had many old women in here today. So now which name are you using next?
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
1:05 pm
@Tide Rising: I don’t see where I have included “anything to gloat about” regarding UGA. UGA hasn’t had a lot of that the past couple of years. I simply stated that “Since when is a Big 10 Champ[onship anything to gloat about?” Thanks for fixing my single typo in that response but we are now even or you owe me.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Since when is a “Liberty bowl loss to Central florida” anything to gloat about?
I had a single typo while you had 2 in the immediately above line. To save you time I will provide you with a corrected line.
Since when is a “Liberty Bowl loss to Central Florida” anything to gloat about.
______________________________________________________________________________
This whole blog is about 50% BS and I am just having fun and I don’t take ANY of it too seriously. Hope everybody else feels the same and typos happen.
Good luck to all y’all.
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 17th, 2011
1:16 pm
AltamahaDawg
August 17th, 2011
12:49 pm
NOPE , you call people “punk” because you get your panties in a wad if they made a joke at your expence.
(followed by some uncomprehandable rant about lilly white acedemics)
The you follew that up by saying thier very logical siojmple answer than you cannot dispute, is the “Dumbest of the day”
But youu justy keep on lecturing people about being a man, and how much better they should be than personal insults and over exagerated responses.
2222222222222222222222222222222222222222
get a life and move on……you are wrong once again and making excuses is your only game.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
1:17 pm
Tide Rising; “Being a charitable man” Ha ha ha ha hee hee hee haw haw haw, snort, wheeze. You have never seen the day that you were a man. Most of us on here have stepped over better men than you getting to the fight.
Leave my buddy, Altamaha Dawg, alone. He be good for morale on this Dog/Dawg and Pony show. Know whut I’m sayin?
Just making up reasons why UGA should win
August 17th, 2011
1:18 pm
Days since last champinship:
11185 Days, 00 Hours, 18 Minutes, 49 Seconds.
WDE
August 17th, 2011
1:19 pm
@Tide Rising wasn’t it 06 and 07 that you had to vacate wins…all of the wins 06 and 5 wins in 05 if I remember correctly? Average years really ? , 6-7 in 05 and 7-5 in 06…before vacating the wins of course..I just bring it up as you are being a charitable man that feels he has the duty to help the truly ignorant …..
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
1:26 pm
@Just making up……. Do they have newspapers with sporting vents, blogs, etc,? With the lack of educated Ala-dam-bamians the answer is probably NO. Otherwise you and “Turd Roll” wouldn’t be spending so much tme on this one.
Your numbers in your 1:18 pm post are WAY OFF………………………..but we get your point.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
1:29 pm
OOPS! Meant TURD RISING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
1:34 pm
@WDE: Don’t be throwing a bunch of :”FACTS” into this mess and confusing the Red/Pink Elephants fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WDE
August 17th, 2011
1:38 pm
@Brainiac(Dawg for life) sorry his statement about his duty to help the truly ignorant …drove me to it..
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
August 17th, 2011
1:49 pm
Just making up rea……… In your 12:36 pm post you listed several dates of Kneebrasska accomplishments. Go back and read it. ALL dates you posted were in the LAST CENTURY but we all make mistakes, typos, errors, etc.(Cept my man Altamaha Dawg). You probably already know this but when me and Altamaha Dawg go into Aladambama the average IQ of Red/Pink Elephant Nation be rising 10 to 20 points. Know whut I’m sayin?
AltamahaDawg
August 17th, 2011
1:59 pm
I’m wrong? really? about what?
I’m making “excuses”? am I? about what.
Because I thought what I had done is specifically asked you to back up your comments to me. I guess I was wrong, in that I figured you would take a shot at it, and it was my excuse to call you out.
As far as “Get a life”, would that includes me spending my time trolling your teams sport blog for no other reason than slinging poo?
BYRDDAWG
August 17th, 2011
2:01 pm
Yep he’s already been cleared of ANY wrong doing!!!!