Shad Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, publicly chastised Urban Meyer on Tuesday for his “inexcusable” actions in an Ohio bar over the weekend.
Meyer’s acts were captured on camera and shared on social media, prompting Khan to issue a statement criticizing Meyer’s behavior. One video, which rapidly went viral, shows a young woman dancing near to Meyer’s lap while he sits on a bar stool. Meyer seems to touch the woman’s backside in a second, more damaging footage.
“I’ve spoken with Urban about this. The details of our talk will be kept private. “What I will say is that his behavior over the weekend was inexcusable,” Khan remarked. “I respect Urban’s contrition, which I think to be genuine. He now has to earn back our confidence and respect. Urban will have to make a personal commitment to everyone who supports, represents, or plays for our team in order to do this. I feel confidence in his ability to deliver.”
Meyer apologized to his family, team, and Khan on Monday. He convened a team meeting and said that he would “own it,” a term he lives by and has plastered all over the Jaguars’ facility.
Meyer remarked, “It’s just ridiculous.” “I shouldn’t have put myself in that situation.”
Following Jacksonville’s 24-21 loss to Cincinnati on Thursday night, Meyer did not fly back with his winless team, which is an unprecedented action for any coach. Instead, he stayed in Ohio to meet family and ate dinner at his Columbus restaurant/bar, Urban Meyer’s Pint House, on Friday.
“There was a large group of people adjacent to our restaurant, and they asked me to come over and snap pictures, which I did,” Meyer explained. “They were attempting to drag me out on the dance floor, fooling about, and I should have walked away.”
In the first video, a young blond woman is seen dancing between Meyer’s legs while he is seated on a bar stool. Meyer’s right hand is on or near her bottom in the second photo, which was taken from a different perspective.
The Jaguars (0-4) have now lost 19 games in a row, one game shy of tying Tampa Bay’s NFL record established in 1977. Meyer claims they’ve made significant progress since Week 1.
Meyer is concerned that the videos will have long-term consequences for the players he has asked to invest in his transformation.
Meyer stated, “I have a very excellent relationship with our players.” “I’ve dealt with it before, not on the other side, but with staff members and other issues, and I’ve dealt with it before. So, to say I’m worried, well, I’m worried. But I’ve got to get it right.”
