Urban Meyer Says He Apologized to Jaguars for Viral Bar Video: 'It Was Stupid'
October 4, 2021
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said Monday he apologized to his players and coaching staff after a video posted on social media over the weekend showed a woman dancing on him in an Ohio bar.
"I just apologized to the team and staff for being a distraction. It was stupid," Meyer told reporters. "So I explained to everyone what happened, and owned it, and I should not have been in that position."
The 57-year-old Ohio native, who's married with three children, explained he stayed behind to visit his grandchildren after the Jags suffered a 24-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.
Meyer said went out to a restaurant to eat and was recognized by another group, which asked him to take pictures and then tried to convince him to take the dance floor.
The first-year Jacksonville head coach conceded he should have left the establishment rather than hang around, and noted he also apologized to his family, which was "upset," and team owner Shad Khan, who was "supportive" during their conversation:
Ari Meirov @MySportsUpdateHere's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jaguars?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jaguars</a> HC Urban Meyer apologizing for what happened over the weekend. Meyer didn't travel back with the team after the game and stayed in Ohio. Full explanation:<a href="https://t.co/X8plCNWbiQ">pic.twitter.com/X8plCNWbiQ</a>
Meyer, who was shown wearing an Ohio State shirt in pictures from the night, previously served as the Buckeyes' head coach from 2012 through 2018 before taking a break from coaching.
He won three national championships at the college level, two with Florida (2006 and 2008) and one with OSU (2014), before taking his first NFL job when he signed with the Jags in January. Contract details weren't released.
There was optimism that the Jaguars, who posted a 1-15 record in 2020, could quickly turn things around with the offseason arrival of Meyer and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 draft.
However, that hasn't materialized in the early going. Jacksonville is off to an 0-4 start and has been outscored by 41 points, the league's fifth-worst point differential.
"Lot of good players in this league, man," Meyer told reporters after a Week 2 loss to the Denver Broncos. "It's Alabama every week."
The Jags return to action Sunday when they host the Tennessee Titans before heading to London to face the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 17.