JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ā Urban Meyer is ready to move on. So are his players and his family.
The Jacksonville Jaguars coach publicly apologized for the third consecutive day Wednesday and said he never considered resigning after his āinexcusableā behavior at an Ohio bar was caught on camera and released on social media.
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Meyer added that several members of the teamās leadership council, a group of players who serve as liaisons between the coach and the locker room, have expressed their support.
āI had at least eight to 10 phone calls where they called me and they were over-the-top supportive and said, āWe got you, man. Move forward,āā Meyer said. āA common thing was, āCoach, we all did stupid things.ā Iām really impressed with our guys.ā
Team owner Shad Khan publicly reprimanded the 57-year-old Meyer on Tuesday for his actions at the bar last weekend.
Meyer said they had three or four conversations in which Khan told Meyer he must regain everyone's trust and respect. Meyer said āthe message is loud and clear.ā
Meyer's troubles started Friday at his restaurant/bar, the Urban Chop House in Columbus, Ohio. Meyer made the odd decision to stay behind in his hometown state following Jacksonville's 24-21 loss at Cincinnati on Thursday and had dinner with his family the next night.
Meyer said he ended up joining a party next door and was later captured on camera with a young woman. One clip showed the woman dancing close to Meyerās lap as he sits on a bar stool. A second, more damning video appears to show Meyer touching the womanās behind.
Meyer apologized to players in respective position groups Monday and said he was sorry again during his weekly radio show Tuesday. He offered another apology during a team meeting Wednesday, saying he let down his family and his players.
āI know most of the team feels this way: Heās still my head coach. I still respect him, regardless of what happens," rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. āLike I said, weāre a team and weāre figuring it out. So, yeah, weāre all good.ā
Added third-year linebacker Josh Allen: āHe has owned it, just like we all do. Heās a great coach, he's a great man and heās gonna bounce back and we all gonna bounce back.
"Weāre going to play even harder for him, you know Iām saying? Weāre ready to play. Heās got our back, and weāre going to have his back. Thatās how we going.ā
The Jaguars (0-4) host Tennessee (2-2) on Sunday, trying to end a 19-game losing streak that is tied for the second longest in NFL history.
Meyer tried to clear up any remaining loose ends Wednesday. He said he told general manager Trent Baalke about his plan to stay behind in Ohio, and several players didn't even notice he was missing on the plane ride back to Jacksonville. Meyer also defended his decision to apologize in small groups Monday.
āIn my opinion, you donāt get much done in a team meeting," he said. "You get a lot done when youāre in personal space with people. Iāve always done that.ā
Meyer said he hasnāt heard from the league office and added that Khan did not fine him.
Meyer remains concerned about how the incident will affect his credibility on the sideline and in the locker room, adding heās spent countless hours trying to make sure heās no longer a distraction.
āIām in a fight to make sure that doesnāt happen,ā Meyer said. āAs of now, no, I donāt see that one bit.ā
His family, meanwhile, seems ready to move on. Meyer sounded as if he and his wife, Shelley, are going to be fine.
āI donāt want to get into our personal life, but 37 years weāve been together and itās been awesome, man," he said. "And this speed bumpās not going to get in the way of that.ā
His youngest daughter, Gigi, also went public to show her support.
āWeāre good. As a family, weāre good," Gigi Meyer posted in an Instagram story. "The reality of it is as much as our lives might seems different than everybody elseās, weāre still human. We have human things that we deal with, and this is one of those things.
āBut the good news is we know my dad and we know his character, and heās literally the most incredible person I know in my entire life and I still hold true to that truth. That is my truth. Doesnāt have to be your truth, but that is my truth and I am sticking to it. Weāve all decided weāre going to move on. Weāre moving on, and life is good.ā
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