Urban Meyer addresses resignation rumors, questions about marriage after bar video
Urban Meyer is emerging after the most challenging week of his professional career. The state of Ohio, where Meyer tasted so much success, played a crucial role in that. His Jags side played a pretty good game just to flashback as they lost to the Bengals in Ohio. Meyer opted to stay in-state and visit his restaurant without his team. While there, a video captured Meyer, where he was behaving inappropriately with a young woman.
THREAD 1) The Urban Meyer situation in Jacksonville has reached a crisis point, especially in the locker room. One player told me, 'He has zero credibility in that stadium. He had very little to begin with.'
The video went viral, and the backlash went into overdrive. The sports world broke with allegations that the Jags locker room had lost respect for Meyer. Moreover, he needed to face the wrath of his boss, Shahid Kahn. Meyer has now addressed everything that happened over the weekend, and he's come out fighting.
Meyer breaks his silence.
Meyer took to the podium yesterday and spoke about everything:
"The ownership of this team is with the players, I don't believe that's in my court. . . . The leaders on the team are going to make that decision. It depends on how much trust you have built up with them, how we structure everything this week and focus on winning that game."
The decorated college head coach continued:
"I’m going to be extremely clear as I can. Our staff is working their tails off. But you know as well as I do that the ownership of this team is with the players."
The Jaguars are currently 0-4, and this storm has added more unwanted attention onto a struggling team. The former Ohio State head coach did apologize for becoming a sideshow:
"The fact that I became a distraction, I've got to earn their trust back from that."
Moreover, Meyer reiterated his desire to win with the Jaguars. The head coach has an extraordinary track record in the collegiate game, and he won't wish to leave the NFL humiliated:
"I made a comment when I got here about the logo, about an owner who wants to win in the worst way." "That's one of the reasons I came here. I just, I admire that guy so much. ... And so, that's what makes me so angry at myself that I lived that, I believe that and I failed."
The shocking video also raised questions about his marriage. He and his wife, Shelly, have been married for 37 years. Meyer described his actions as a 'speedbump' in the road.
Urban Meyer said he didn’t consider resigning.
Asked a personal question about the state of his marriage, Meyer said this “speedbump” won’t affect their 37yrs together
Meyer cut an embattled figure at his press conference. After a rocky preseason, the head coach didn't need this to blow up. Many sources are claiming that he has lost the locker room. Owner Shahid Khan is giving Meyer a chance to regain the players' confidence.
One thing is clear: The great coach is now firmly in the white heat of the NFL spotlight. Meyer claims that he agreed to the fateful trip in advance with GM Trent Baalke. It is hard to decipher an accurate picture.
What cannot be argued is that the locker room and Meyer are divided. The impatient owner is unhappy, and the fans and NFL media are baying for blood. Urban Meyer decided to fight and yesterday was round one. Unfortunately for him, there are 14 rounds left to fight.