Legendary Cowboys Coach Jimmy Johnson Is Jumping to Defend Urban Meyer: ‘There Was a Lot of Backstabbing’
Before, during, and after his time as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Urban Meyer didn’t have an abundance of supporters. A handful of diehard Florida Gators fans desperately wanted to see their legendary coach succeed with a Florida-based NFL team. However, common sense always suggested Meyer was doomed to fail the moment he was hired.
Not only were the Jaguars in a terrible spot when they began their search for a new head coach this past offseason, but Meyer is arguably the worst voice to bring into a building in desperate need of development and overall positive culture. He’s been criticized on more than one occasion for being overly abrasive, impatient, and toxic.
Urban Meyer is being crushed by everyone and anyone
It’s been over a week since the Jaguars fired Meyer. However, reactions to the move are still pouring in left and right. Current Jaguars players like Trevor Lawrence have chimed in and generally express a sense of optimism about the team moving forward.
Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan recently voiced his thoughts on the matter as well. He didn’t hold back in the slightest, really tearing into Meyer for failing to make the transition from the NCAA to the NFL.
However, one voice has emerged as a beacon of light for Meyer amid all the negativity. Legendary Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson is one of the few (if not the only) people to voice an ounce of support for Meyer following his Jaguars departure.
Jimmy Johnson claims the Jaguars were ‘backstabbing’ their former head coach
During a recent airing of Fox’s pregame Sunday show, Johnson gave a little insight into what he believes ultimately derailed Meyer’s tenure in Jacksonville.
”Going to Jacksonville, just like when I went to Dallas, you knew you were gonna lose, you’re gonna have adversity,” Johnson said.
“The difference is, in Dallas, I had my entire coaching staff from college. I had my administrative assistant, I had my P.R. director, I had my trainer. We were all on the same page when we had adversity. He didn’t have that in Jacksonville. There was a lot of backstabbing, one thing or the other because he didn’t have his people.”
Johnson is a friend of Meyer’s off the field. His opinion on the matter may be skewed. However, the “backstabbing” comments are worth looking into.
Were the Jaguars backstabbing Urban Meyer?
When reports first surfaced that Jaguars owner Shad Khan was considering hiring Urban Meyer, there was a consensus “no” voiced out by all facets of the NFL world. Former players, analysts, and fans were all extremely against the idea and felt better coaching candidates were out there.
It’s likely that members of the Jaguars locker room felt the same way.
Meyer was caught up in controversies the moment he landed in Jacksonville. Between the drama and the consistent losing, it’s easy to picture a scenario in which players and assistant coaches began silent revolting. This is presumably what Johnson means by “backstabbing.”
Trevor Lawrence, for example, never seemed to be much of a Meyer fan. His voice obviously carries some weight in the Jacksonville locker room.
Regardless of what you think about Meyer, Johnson’s comments aren’t insignificant. Rumors like these could scare off future head-coaching candidates.
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