The charred Gators Football equipment would have upset punter Jon Gould, but new designer cleats pushed it out of his mind.
The back of an equipment truck caught on fire on its way back from Starkville, Mississippi, as a result of a flat tire. Some of the team’s equipment was caught in the flames, including helmets, pads and wristbands, Will Pantages, a UF football assistant director, said.
“A lot of our minds were shifted off it immediately when we got the new Jordan Retro cleats,” Gould said.
His reaction was based on pictures he saw of the inside of the truck on social media. When he got to the team meeting Monday, his teammates shared photos of the damage.
“The stuff that was in the fire was absolutely trashed,” Gould said.
The football team is sending any damaged equipment back to Riddell, a football equipment manufacturer, for insurance purposes, Gould said.
A new order has already been made to replace the equipment for this Saturday’s home game against the Louisiana State University Tigers, Gould said.
The extent of the damage to the truck is still being assessed, and it is unknown whether the trailer will be repairable, Pantages said. He said the University Athletic Association is still dealing with the insurance company, so no total cost of damage is immediately available.
Contact Kyle Wood at kwood@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @kkylewood
A UF equipment truck caught fire after a flat tire sent up sparks Sunday morning while heading back to Gainesville after the Mississippi State University game.
