USA Football has named California the country's best football state.
In an odd twist, the national governing body presented the Governor's Award to the San Diego Chargers, one of the NFL's most disappointing teams.
USA Football executive director Scott Hallenbeck presented the award to Chargers official A.G. Spanos, grandson of the team's owner, on Tuesday. Joining them at the award presentation were players Jeremy Newberry, Kassim Osgood, Billy Volek and Antwan Applewhite, who have played high school, college and pro football in California.
California earned the Governor's Award based on a study conducted by the George Mason University Center for Sport Management.
Among the criteria used for the award were the number of high school football programs per capita, the number of college football All-Americans per capita and birth states of 2008 NFL draftees.
Coincidentally, all three of California's NFL teams have losing records. The Chargers and San Francisco 49ers are 4-8 while the Oakland Raiders are 3-9.
Southern California, on the other hand, is ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25.
