You know it’s a significant Twitter misstep when the sender not only deletes the tweet, but takes down his entire Twitter page. That’s what UCLA freshman receiver Randall Carroll has done following his ill-advised tweet to a pal concerning Bruins offensive coordinator Norm Chow.

Carroll, (Twitter name OCiAM), sent a tweet to La Cañada St. Francis High running back/safety Dietrich Riley, dated Oct. 22, that included a racial epithet to describe Chow, who is of Chinese descent:

“oregon, stanford, and cal should have been easy wins ,, but shyt thys nigga norm chow dnt be trustin us ,, so it is what it is”

The OC in Carroll’s Twitter name, by the way, is either for “Olympic Champion,” which he tells the press, or for “Out of Control,” his nickname with the Bruins, which he tells his friends. Take your pick.

Riley’s Twitter page is still up, but he’s deleted Carroll’s tweet.

Blowback, via the LOS ANGELES TIMES:

“I was frustrated, tired of losing,” Carroll said Saturday after UCLA’s 27-13 loss to Arizona. “I wasn’t trying disrespect Norm Chow in any way. . . . He was one of the reasons I came here. I was just saying I didn’t feel like he trusted us, because we are such a young bunch. I wasn’t downgrading his coaching.”

As a senior at Los Angeles Cathedral High, Carroll was the focus of an intense recruiting battle between UCLA and USC.

The former state sprint champion, who originally committed to USC before signing with UCLA, has been tweeting Riley, who is being courted by both schools.

Carroll talked with Coach Rick Neuheisel and will meet Chow at some point.

“Coach Neuheisel said we need to watch what we say in twitters,” Carroll said.

“I was just talking to my friend and I put it in words I shouldn’t say.”

Neuheisel initially told reporters that Carroll was simply guilty of a youthful indiscretion, and that it was no big deal, essentially. But he clearly hadn’t actually read the tweet. When he did, his reaction changed.

Later, he called reporters back to say, “It has come to my attention that there was a derogatory word used that, unfortunately, is used too often in today’s culture. It is absolutely unacceptable and I will speak to Randall on the flight home.”

This is all UCLA needed. Every major college and pro team has got to hire themselves a technology media consultant and put them on the coaching staff alongside the receivers and offensive line coaches. I’m surprised this isn’t already common practice.