Two Virginia Tech Players Charged With Building, Setting Off Explosive Device [Update]

Walk-ons Josh Trimble and Brian Rody haven't picked a major, but perhaps chemistry would suit them: the two were able to build some sort of explosive device, and set it off in an off-campus apartment last night. Unfortunately, both those things are against the law.

Police aren't saying what kind of explosive device it was, so it could be anything from an Anarchist Cookbook-approved IED to a bottle of Coke with too many Mentos dropped in. It wasn't big enough to hurt anyone, but enough to get them charged with manufacture/use of explosives, which is a felony. The two were released on bond this morning, and are due back for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 24.

Trimble is a redshirt freshman linebacker who played mostly on special teams this season. Rody, also a redshirt freshman, spent time quarterbacking on the scout team.

According to court records, the two are represented by Jimmy Turk, the go-to attorney for Hokies facing legal troubles. Turk is one of the program's biggest boosters, a season-ticket holder and member of the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund board of directors. He's represented dozens of players over the years, most recently kicker Cody Journell, who last year allegedly broke into the home of a Va. Tech basketball player to look for stolen marijuana. Journell plead down to trespassing, and avoided jail time.

Two Virginia Tech football players arrested after explosive device detonated in Blacksburg [Roanoke Times]

Update, 3:30 EST: The players' lawyer says the explosive consisted of mixing aluminum foil and was "simply one of those pranks." So presumably it went a little something like this.