Urban Meyer on Saturday offered his first public comments since being fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars, stating he was “devastated” by the firing.
Speaking to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Meyer denied the allegations made against him regarding his treatment of associates. He also blamed a lack of communication for the controversial benching of running back James Robinson following an early-game fumble.
“We discussed it as a staff,” Meyer said of the Robinson situation. “When you see someone lose the ball or even see them be loose with the ball, get them out of the game, get their mind right and then get them back in. When he fumbled, I said, ‘Take him out.’ We took him out and then we had lack of communication about when to put him back in.”
Meyer acknowledged “mistakes,” but questioned where the numerous claims about how he treated players and coaches had come from.
“It was like, ‘Wait a minute, where is this coming from?'” Meyer said. “I’ve certainly made a few mistakes but those weren’t right.”
The former Ohio State coach said he had not heard from anyone interested in his services as a coach, and his future is “to be determined.”
Meyer comes across a bit shell-shocked that everything fell apart for him so quickly in Jacksonville. That is understandable, though some of the mistakes like the Robinson situation could have easily been fixed. If he had done a better job on that front, he might still be in charge.
Though Meyer is taking a conciliatory tone right now, that may change if the Jaguars stick to their plan regarding the money their former coach is owed.
Photo: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
