Last year, the father of Crimson Tide long snapper Carson Tinker actually broke the Crimson Tide’s reward for its first place BCS ranking in 2011, knocking over the table on which the crystal football sat. The university ordered a replacement for $30,000, no hard feelings were harbored and everyone went on their merry way.

But whatever happened to the broken pieces of the original trophy?

On Sunday, the shattered trophy surfaced, put up for auction during the school’s annual celebrity golf tournament, according to longtime Alabama football beat writer Cecil Hurt. Moreover, it ended up fetching $105,000, a good $75,000 more than a new, intact trophy would run.

Check out an image of the broken trophy and auction setup below.

Photo via Twitter/@ellenor80

The former Rutgers defensive tackle, who was paralyzed from the shoulders down after making a tackle, finally moved home 944 days after the accident. LeGrand’s home is in the same location as the house he grew up in, but it was completely rebuilt and equipped with bigger doorways, automatic doors, elevators and aluminum tracks to help him get around.

The house cost nearly $400,000 to build, but it was paid for by the contractors and donations to the Believe Foundation, according to the New Jersey Star-Ledger. Watch the video below to see LeGrand and his mother’s emotional reaction to their new digs.

Vince Young

That’s when the quarterback, seven tumultuous years removed from his national title, finally received his diploma.

“This will rank No. 1 because it is what I came to school for,” Young told CBSSports.com on Thurday. “I came here to get an education, and to win a national championship. And now, I get to put that smile on my mom’s face.

“I’m about to be the first in my family to graduate. Just finishing what I started. That’s why I’m trying to get back in the NFL. To finish what I started. That is the type of guy I am. I do work hard — even when the times are good or bad. That’s just how I was raised.”

Young was 30-plus credit hours short of a degree in Youth and Community Studies when he declared for the NFL draft in 2006. He began returning to Austin for classes in the offseason early in his career, but he only recently fulfilled all of his requirements. He walked with the rest of the 2013 graduating class on Friday morning, one day before his 30th birthday.

Photo via Twitter/@UT_Bianco

Florida offensive line coach Tim Davis whipped out that phrasing at a recent booster meeting, the second time that an SEC-affiliated coach has compared Saban to Lucifer himself.

Saban responded Thursday.

“It really is a little terribly disappointing,” he said, according to AL.com. “… I try to do right by the people that work for me. It’s a tough, demanding job. And at the same time, if anybody had an issue or problem with me, I would want them to just tell me.”

While James Franklin, the Vanderbilt coach who called Saban “Nicky Satan,” hasn’t worked under Saban, Davis and the boss he was complimenting, coach Will Muschamp, have.

“I know it’s not representative of Will Muschamp and the University of Florida and the way they do things,” Saban said. “I know that, because I’m close enough to Will to know that.”

Perhaps the devil is in the details.

Davis gave the backhanded compliment of the ages this week when talking to Gators fans about coach Will Muschamp, who is said to model his game after college football coaching heavyweight Nick Saban. If Muschamp can have even a shade of the success of Saban, who has won three championships in the last four years with Alabama, then Florida fans will be pretty happy.

Davis made it sound like he thinks Muschamp has it in him — but not without taking a Luciferian dig at Saban first.

“Will and I go back to the Miami Dolphins,” Davis told the crowd at the Space Coast Gator Club in Melbourne, Fla., according to gaitorbait.net. “I’ve always wanted to work with Will. Will’s got a plan. Will coached under the devil himself for seven years. I only did three. He did seven. And his DNA is not any different than Nick.”

Davis also highlighted the parts of Muschamp that he said set him apart from Saban.

“[Muschamp is] like the other guy, only he’s got personality,” Davis said. “He’ll smile at you. He’ll talk to you. You understand? That’s what he’s all about. That’s Will. I’m proud to work for him.”

Davis also predicted “eight national champions in a row” for Muschamp.

It’s not the first time this year a coach has tied Saban to Lucifer. Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin called him “Nicky Satan” but later apologized personally to Saban for the remark.

If the horns fit….

Click here to see the lakeside house Saban is getting rid of >>

Photo of the Day

Hi, Craig Sager.

Photo via Twitter/@htown747

Tweet of the Day

Sounds about right.

Harper said he's sore and feels nauseous, but otherwise no worse for the wear. Said he was most upset about having to shave his beard.

—
Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) May 14, 2013

Video of the Day

A running catch! In the middle of the batting cages! (Hat tip to Prep Rally.)

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Michigan State stripped Harris of his scholarship earlier this month, after the university became aware of a series of rap videos Harris had published on YouTube under the moniker Jay DatBull. The videos feature explicit lyrics, including references to drugs, women and gays, and one of the videos appears to show Harris smoking marijuana.

For his part, Harris says that he made an active decision to give up football to pursue a career in music, while Michigan State says their parting was “a mutual decision.”

“I’ve always had this in the back of my head, but never had the courage to tell my parents that this is what I want to do,” Harris said.

Harris does actually have a record that’s scheduled to be released June 1. That album was produced by M. Stacks, who’s worked with hip hop luminaries such as Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller. Harris said he called Michigan State quarterbacks coach Brad Salem, who recruited him, two weeks ago to inform the school of his decision.

Is Jay Datbull destined for failure, or to be the next OFWGKTA? You can decide by checking out his YouTube channel. (As we warned you earlier, his raps contain some NSFW content and lyrics.)

Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Spartan Stadium

With this year’s victory over Notre Dame, Alabama marked the third time in four years that it is the national champion.

Crimson Tide players got rings commemorating the occasion this week. Aside from the usual diamond-encrusted look, the rings also have three tiny footballs on their face — marking the 2009, 2011 and 2012 championships.

Check out the rings in the photos below.

BLING! http://t.co/OFmAxJOhDB

—
Carson Tinker (@carsontink) May 13, 2013

Winning #bama #rolltide twitpic.com/cqd1bw

—
  (@bryantmuseum) May 13, 2013

The university is not confirming the identity of the quarterback, but the Inquirer reports that the victim was senior Trevor Sasek. He was stabbed several times in the chest and abdomen during a fight Sunday morning at a parking lot at 54 East Delaware Ave. in Newark, Del., and is in “stable condition” after having surgery, according to the Inquirer.

Police made the arrest after looking at surveillance cameras in the area of the 1:20 a.m. fight, tracking a vehicle that left after the fight, according to the Inquirer.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Delaware Blue Hens Football

Mullen’s latest stunt was sending a Mother’s Day card to offensive line prospect Chase Johnson as a recruitment letter. In the past, Mullen has written “You’re a baller” to one prospect and drawn a “can of swag” for another in a recruitment letter.

The Mother’s Day-themed note worked on Johnson. Mullen wrote that “Family is priority #1 in my program” in the letter.

“I’ve always liked Mississippi State,” Johnson told the Clarion Ledger. “But I think it affected me. They believe family is No. 1. They are going to accept you and your family. They aren’t just recruiting you. They are recruiting your whole family.”

Check out Mullen’s Mother’s Day card in the photo below.

S/o to Mississippi State and @CoachDanMullen for showing my moms some love! Family is #1 #godawgs http://t.co/FzuhIAmBGX

—
Chase Johnson™ (@Grind0rDie77) May 10, 2013

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was down on the field while the Red Sox were taking batting practice. Meyer spent some time talking to Boston’s ace, Jon Lester.

Meyer’s Buckeyes went undefeated in 2012, but were not eligible for a bowl game or the National Championship because of transgressions made by the program before Meyer arrived.

Check out Meyer speaking with Lester in the photo below.

Photo via Boston Red Sox

That means selling a $1.19 million family home in Jamesville, N.Y., that was customized pretty nicely.

Marrone’s place at 6100 Waitsfield Drive South in Jamesville, which was remodeled in 2010, is on the market. With four bedrooms, five bathrooms and 6,127 square feet of living space, it’s the quintessential family home — and that’s without getting into the perks. Marrone’s upgrades included a salt-water pool, a “dropdown movie screen” and an indoor gym that is less a workout center than something that looks like an actual Syracuse basketball court.

It looks like a nice place to settle the family.

Click here for photos of Marrone’s $1.19 million home >>

Photo via Trulia.com

Maxim recently released it’s Hot 100 list, and coming in at No. 69, surrounded by the world’s sexiest women, was none other than “Manti Te’o's Fake Girlfriend.” And yes, a photo was included.

Miley Cyrus came in at No. 1, while Selena Gomez, Rihanna, Mila Kunis and Jennifer Lawrence rounded out the Top 5.

Elisha Cuthbert (Dion Phaneuf‘s girlfriend), Olivia Munn (Brad Richards‘ ex) and Brooklyn Decker (Andy Roddick‘s wife) were among those listed who have sports ties.

Manti Te'o's girlfriend made @Maxim's #Hot100. Thoughts? cmplx.it/10vAaGz http://t.co/dZT9AlC9I2

—
Complex (@ComplexMag) May 09, 2013

Nick Saban

But no — the coach of the reigning college football champs says the real reason he’s dumping the 9,600-square-foot, six-bedroom, $10.95 million monstrosity at 112 Whipporwill Lane in Clayton, Ga., is simply because his family has another home on Lake Burton. Two would just be too much.

“My family and I own another home on the lake,” Saban said in a statement, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. “… Lake Burton is our favorite getaway. It’s a beautiful, hidden gem, where we find great peace and seclusion.”

The home in the North Georgian mountains, which sits on a 1.7-acre plot, is now going to the highest bidder in an auction scheduled for June 6. While photos of the home do not reveal any college football paraphernalia, they do show that whoever put this place together wasn’t joking around. With “natural local stone” and “reclaimed timber beams” as well as custom fireplaces and other craftsmanship, including a custom boathouse, there’s not much to argue with when it comes to finding luxury in this home.

Check out photos of Saban’s lakeside mansion >>

Photo via conciergeauctions.com

UniWatch has tweeted what it says is a new field design for the Cowboys’ football field, and the layout is pretty catchy. It uses Wild West-style typography, yellow and brown coloring, and visages of a bucking bronco and the Rocky Mountains to set the mood.

The best part, however, is where the design says “7,220 feet” along both sidelines. That’s the elevation of the field — the highest in Division I’s Football Bowl Subdivision.

Check it out in the photo below.

New field design for Wyoming football: http://t.co/M752o1eXto

—
Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) May 07, 2013

For his efforts with the Wildcats, the former Patriots linebacker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2013. In four seasons at Arizona, Bruschi tied the Division I-A record for career sacks with 52. He added 185 tackles, 74 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and five recovered fumbled to his impressive resume.

Bruschi was a first-team All-American in 1994 and 1995 and won the Morris Trophy his senior season as the Pac-10′s best defensive lineman. He was drafted No. 86 overall in 1996 by the Patriots and was moved to outside linebacker by Bill Parcells. Bruschi eventually made the move to inside linebacker, a rare move for a college defensive end. Bruschi went on to win three Super Bowls in New England and play in two more.

The rest of this year’s College Football Hall of Fame includes Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier, Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel, Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne, Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde, NC State’s Ted Brown, Texas’ Jerry Gray, Kentucky’s Steve Meilinger, Ohio State’s Orlando Pace, Oklahoma’s Rod Shoate, Michigan State’s Percy Snow and Baylor’s Don Trull. Coaches Wayne Hardin and Bill McCartney were also inducted.

Bill Belichick‘s infatuation with Rutgers players has been well documented over the past few seasons. The love affair began when the Patriots took Devin McCourty with their first-round pick in 2010, and it finally came to a head during this year’s NFL draft with the selection of three Scarlet Knight players, and the undrafted addition of a fourth.

But just as the relationship between the two programs appears to be growing deeper, the direction of the college football winds may be moving the Patriots’ operation just a tad farther south — down into Happy Valley, Penn.

Belichick’s love affair with the Rutgers’ program initially stemmed from his close relationship with former Rutgers and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano. Much like Belichick, Schiano recruited and coached players with great character, intelligence and commitment to football, making the transition into the Patriots’ system nice and smooth.

Belichick even expanded upon the connection after the final day of the 2013 NFL draft.

“I’d say the players he recruits and the program he runs is in a lot of ways similar to what we do,” Belichick said. “So the fact that he’s recruited those kids four to five years ahead of when they come into this league and they’ve been in a program that’s, in a lot of ways, probably similar to ours, then it’s probably not that surprising that we would like some of the kids he’s produced, both talent-wise and total makeup.”

But now, with Schiano gone at Rutgers, Bill O’Brien and Penn State seem primed to be the Patriots’ new feeder program.

O’Brien spent five seasons coaching in New England, ascending up to the role of offensive coordinator in 2011 and becoming one of Belichick’s most-trusted advisors. He, too, preaches many of Belichick’s core principles and has already begun building the Penn State program around them. So, the Patriots’ future connections in Happy Valley are obvious and, in fact, have already begun.

While the Rutgers’ storyline got all the attention, the Patriots quietly signed two undrafted Penn State players to their roster to consummate the new relationship. The two are center Matt Stankiewitch (pronounced “Stank-ev-itch”) and cornerback Stephon Morris, both of whom were very productive with the Nittany Lions, but are long shots to make the Patriots’ final 53-man roster.

Even with that long -shot tagline, Morris admitted that he bypassed other teams in favor of the Patriots under O’Brien’s guidance.

“O’Brien pretty much led me here,” Morris revealed during last weekend’s rookie minicamp. “I had other opportunities, but even before the draft I wanted to become a Patriot. Talking to coach O’Brien, it felt like this was the best place for me to be. Just when I came here, I just felt like it’s a great tradition and I’m very proud of it.”

As an undersized (5-foot-8) defensive back, Morris is at something of a disadvantage in his battle for a roster spot, but he still joined the Patriots anyway. Stankiewitch, conversely, has a huge advantage in his attempt to make the team, given his experience in O’Brien’s pro-style — or should we say Patriots style — offense last season. His comfort level with the system, along with some prodding from O’Brien, led him to New England, too.

“I felt comfortable with the coaches,” Stankiewitch said of his decision. “I felt comfortable with the situation, and I felt comfortable with the whole system — the whole New England Patriots’ atmosphere, the way they conduct themselves and the way they want you to be a football player.”

Much like with Schiano’s players at Rutgers, O’Brien is growing more than just individual football players. He’s building young athletes into mature young men, and Belichick has taken notice.

Signing two undrafted free agents doesn’t necessarily indicate a trend. By week 1, the names Morris and Stankiewitch may even be long forgotten, erasing all remnants of Nittany Lion blue from the Patriots’ locker room. But these two players are just the start of a long and promising relationship.

No, the Patriots won’t only be pulling from the Penn State pool. Belichick still has strong ties elsewhere around college football, including with Alabama head coach Nick Saban, and they seem to be as strong as ever. It might take a few years before the Patriots draft a Penn State player and there might even be a few final strings in the Rutgers’ program. Schiano’s final recruiting class has two more years before graduation and it will be at least another two before any of O’Brien’s recruits are even eligible for the draft. But, eventually, it will happen.

Sooner or later, Rutgers will become a fad of the past for the Patriots, and they’ll no doubt be looking for a new grooming partner to work with. Just don’t be surprised if they’ve already found it, or if it just happens to be Penn State.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

ESPN believes the former Jet will be playing football in 2013, but if not, he’s on the network’s radar as a college football analyst, according to the New York Daily News. There will be competition for Tebow’s services, though — unlike in the NFL, where there is none.

Fox Sports would likely be interested in the University of Florida product for their new all-sports cable network, Fox Sports One. CBS broadcasts SEC football, so they too could want Tebow to join their studio crew.

Tebow was released by the Jets last week after just one season with the team. He received limited snaps at quarterback and less than expected at the wildcat position.

O’Brien implemented a lot of the Patriots methods into the system at Penn State when he took the head coaching job there last offseason. Now, he’s directing some of his players to Bill Belichick and the Patriots to continue on with their football careers.

Two of O’Brien’s seniors at Penn State last season, center Matt Stankiewitch (pronounced Stank-E-vitch) and cornerback Stephon Morris, went undrafted in this year’s NFL draft but had offers to sign as undrafted free agents all over the league. Both players chose New England, and they pointed to O’Brien as a big factor in that decision.

“I had other opportunities, but even before the draft I wanted to become a Patriot,” Morris said of agreeing to join New England. “Talking to coach O’Brien, it felt like this was the best place for me to be. Just when I came here, I just felt like it’s a great tradition and I’m very proud of it.”

Stankiewitch echoed Morris’ sentiments, praising O’Brien for his guidance but acknowledging that in the end it was his decision.

“Of course, Coach O’Brien can help because of the way he is,” Staniewitch said. “He is a very positive person and people look up to him. So, of course, that helps when you want to go somewhere. But things just fell into place and  it just happened to be that I ended up in New England.”

O’Brien may no longer be with the team, but clearly he’s still having an impact on its roster.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

The most recent rule doesn’t have to do with an athletes’ eligibility, conduct or compliance, but rather what images or logos can be painted onto the turf or grass of a field. It seems the organization is not too fond of the use of trendy Twitter hashtags painted onto the field.

USC social media director Jordan Moore broke the news on Wednesday.

Social media police: The NCAA has banned hashtags on college football fields.

—
Jordan Moore (@MooreSports) May 01, 2013

The ruling says specifically that, “social media designations such as URL’s and hashtags, are prohibited” on the playing field, end zone and sidelines. Many schools have utilized hashtags and URLs to draw attention to their social media accounts and websites.

It would seem that player jerseys with Twitter handles on the back of them instead of names are also out of the question. #Unfortunate.

Photo via Twitter/@ShaneMurrray

Photo of the Night

See you on Friday, New York Knicks.

Tweet of the Night

Sounds about right.

April showers bring May the Astros lost.

—
SportsPickle (@sportspickle) May 02, 2013

Video of the Night

It’s a Boston Strong kind of night. Nathan Horton deflects the puck in off of Wade Redden‘s shot to give Boston the lead over the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the playoffs.

The Arizona Cardinals picked Mathieu in the third round of the NFL draft this year, grabbing a player who is unarguably talented but carries quite a bit of baggage into his professional career. Mathieu had several missteps while at LSU, including being kicked off the team last August after positive drug tests, according to the university.

That led Mathieu’s stock to drop in the draft — and perhaps made the Cardinals think they could have him play without a great contract. Peter King of Sports Illustrated reported Monday that Arizona plans to give Mathieu random drug tests “as often as weekly,” and the team doesn’t intend to offer a contract with guaranteed money. Instead, Mathieu’s pay will come in the form of bonuses, which puts the team in a good spot if it wants to cut him, King reports.

Not so fast, Mathieu’s agent says.

Pat Lawlor, who represents Mathieu, is calling out the report.

“Ridiculous,” he told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. “Not gonna happen. We had no contract discussion with them.”

Just because there have been no contract discussions doesn’t mean that it won’t happen, of course, but this negotiating has gotten off on a strange foot for both sides. While the Cardinals may be trying to strong-arm Mathieu, the fact that they already picked him and have now revealed their plans gives Mathieu and Lawler the upper hand. The team has also said it plans to move Mathieu to free safety.

Mathieu was already betting coming into the draft that his obvious talent would ensure him a home, no matter what happened in his past. As long as he continues to show potential, the Cardinals may have little room to disagree.