OT-Urban Meyer claims that Henandez was held to same standard

Submitted by massblue on

Urban Meyer does not refute the reports that Hernandez failed drug test. But claims that he was held to same standard.  Of course, we do not know what the standard was

Meyer texted to the paper. "Hernandez was held to the same drug testing policy as every other player."

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9454509/urban-meyer-says-blaming-university-florida-wrong

allintime23

July 6th, 2013 at 2:54 PM ^

Meyer is what he is. A guy that puts winning first. Sure, I don't like him and even more so now that he's down south. That said, it's pretty unrealistic to point fingers at him about this situation. Hernandez is a grown man now. Things that he did when he was 19 years old didn't make him do what he probably did. He ruined his own life.

GoWings2008

July 6th, 2013 at 4:04 PM ^

...but college is where many young men develop the qualities that take them into adulthood.  The formative years of becoming less dependent on others and more dependent on yourself, but you need a mentor or guide along the way.  For college football players, that's their coach and staff.  They failed him, imo.  Claiming that he was "held to the same standard" as everyone else is only the first step.  If Meyer knew he was troubled, he had an obligation to help him beyond the standard that he held everyone else to.  IF, that is, he sees himself as a developer of men.  I know it in my heart that Hoke, whether he finishes with the program or not, would have gotten this individual the help he needed if he was part of his team.  I truly believe that.

Blue in Yarmouth

July 8th, 2013 at 8:13 AM ^

I agree 100% that Urban didn't play a significant role in getting anyone murdered whatsoever. What I don't agree with is this whole "Hernendez is a grown man and hasn't been with Urban for three years"stuff.

What I can only assume when I read posts like this is that no one making them have ever played sports at a competitive level. If they had they would know what a lasting impact a head coach can have on a young man. Not an impact that lasts a year or two, but one that lasts a llfetime.

Once again I want to make absolutely clear that I don't think Meyer played any role at all in this murder, but people who keep insinuating that he couldn't have done anything to change a young mans path if he would have done more are kidding themselves. I grew up with (and ran with) a lot of tough customers when I was growing up. Some of them are still in jail today (two of them for different murders) others are productive members of society.

Now I can't lump myself in with most of them because I came from a stable home with parents who loved me, so my success in life is more related to that upbringing than anything else. Others, however, came from very similar socioeconomic backgrounds as the ones in jail, but managed to make something of themselves. 

The ones I know who have since become successful in life all had something other than the streets and our group of friends to help them (sports). The ones I maintain contact with were all on the same sports teams I was and thus had the same coaches. Each one of us when we get together still talk about this one coach that impacted each of our lives for the better, and most of them credit him with getting them on the "straight and narrow". Keep in mind now that I am 39 years old, not three years removed from uni.

Again, I thought the coach was a great guy and his influence on me was certainly a positive one, but I give much more credit to my parents in terms of where I am today. But these other guys didn't have "parents" they had mothers and no idea who their fathers even were. In speaking with them they give almost complete credit to this coach for where they are today.

My point isn't that Urban helped kill a man. It is simply that he could have played an important role in helping Hernendez turn his life around, but it doesn't seem like he has ever cared much for that aspect of coaching. That isn't a crime by any means and certainly doesn't make it possible to point the blame at him. It does, in my opinion, place a dinstinction between him and coaches like say ,Hoke who seems to take a very active role in trying to shape the young men under his care. 

If I'm a parent, give me a coach like that anyday as oppsed to one like Meyer who might get you wins and help in getting you drafted, but does nothing to help your child become a better person. 

ohiobuckeye21

July 6th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^

Urban Meyer is at fault for a guy who spent three years of his life around Urban, then three years later kills somebody? So is it Michigans / Hoke's guidance that your rapist kicker claims his game winning field goal against tech was because he was thinking of brunettes?

cozy200

July 6th, 2013 at 4:52 PM ^

Beyond a shadow of a doubt that you hired the same coaching archetype you have the last few decades. Win at all costs, zero integrity. How many coaches have quit or been fired in that shithole of a state as compared to coaching lineage in Ann Arbor? I see history repeating itself very soon.

ohiobuckeye21

July 6th, 2013 at 5:04 PM ^

Lol most of the "coaching lineage" you refer to came from that shithole of a state a long with most of your talented players. Whats worse? Covering up a rape or covering up some free (paid for with personal property) tats? What does this have to do with the op?

ohiobuckeye21

July 6th, 2013 at 8:25 PM ^

I'd also like to say that I'm not that fan that would make shit up to make my teams rival look bad. Unlike a lot of Michigan AND Ohio State fans, I do want to see anything "bad" (sanctions and things) happen to the rival team. I would feel very little pride in rolling Michigan for the next 10 years IF it were because your team was hammered by some kind of sanctions. I would enjoy the wins but I'd rather both teams be at full strength when we beat you.

ohiobuckeye21

July 6th, 2013 at 10:44 PM ^

Tressel was forced to step down because his players decided to sell their own shit to a guy that was wrapped up in some big time shit, kinda like what happened with charles woodson except he just took the money and gave the guy nothing in return. ( oh, and there was no problem with that in the eyes of the ncaa) If you want to act like what tressel did was un holy or whatever thats fine, i wouldn't expect much else. I would hate on a guy that kicked my ass for a decade too, but again what does tressel have to do with anything we've been talking about

Michiganguy19

July 6th, 2013 at 4:41 PM ^

But honestly, don't care about how Urbs dealt with some player back in like 2007. I know our coaching staff makes the right decisions and that is the most important to me. I don't think anyone who has ever seen Urban or analyzed his actions think the guy is a Saint, but he isn't some Monster either... he is the head coach of our rival.

I hope we beat him regularly.

MGoBlue96

July 6th, 2013 at 5:53 PM ^

a "standard" is so low that there isn't even a point in having a standard? Obviously, I am not going to blame Meyer for Hernandez's behavior while not at Florida, but it is pretty clear that Meyer is a guy who puts winning first, and everything else including disclipline on the backburner. At least that's how it was at Florida, not enough evidence yet to tell whether that is how the ship will be run at Ohio State as well. I would suspect it will, since Ohio State is the one Big Ten team that would fit right in the culture of the SEC.

I am happy Michigan seems to have a staff that cares about other things beyond winning, while at the same time putting together recruiting classes that should lead to sucess on the field as well.

ohiobuckeye21

July 6th, 2013 at 6:29 PM ^

Thanks for posting, I never saw the breakdown like that. Tell me though, I understand and agree that the volume is pretty large but which incidents on there do you not agree with the punishments or lack there of? And talking about sons joining Urban, When are you going to blame the parents who raised these kids for 17-18 years before they even got to Urban?

MGoBlue96

July 7th, 2013 at 12:16 AM ^

turned Hernandez into a killer, but that doesn't mean he deserves no criticism for how he ran things at Florida and that maybe some of those players didn't learn that there are consequences to you actions as a result. Of course Meyer isn't alone, as that the win first mentality is prevelant around the country, but it is nice when you have coaches that look at the big picture outside of just winning.

MGoBlue96

July 7th, 2013 at 12:16 AM ^

turned Hernandez into a killer, but that doesn't mean he deserves no criticism for how he ran things at Florida and that maybe some of those players didn't learn that there are consequences to you actions as a result. Of course Meyer isn't alone, as that the win first mentality is prevelant around the country, but it is nice when you have coaches that look at the big picture outside of just winning.

michelin

July 6th, 2013 at 10:11 PM ^

Without submitting himself to questioning, Urban now writes that Hernandez was “held to the same drug testing policy” as other players—which could just mean the frequency of testing--but avoids the real questions being asked by journalists::

How many times did he test positive for drugs?  (Florida also refused to divulge this but several reports suggest it was at least 3-5 times)

Was the same standard applied to Hernandez ie at least a two game suspension for 3 positive tests (which would have kept him out of the Miami game that year) and more for additional positives (which then could appear to risk more losses and a shot at a national title).

DirkMcGurk

July 7th, 2013 at 8:33 AM ^

I could access 11 warriors threads from 06-07 if they were around then. Somehow I doubt OSU fans were talking about what a genius he was at coaching or what a stand up program he ran.

FatGuyLittleCoat

July 7th, 2013 at 10:08 AM ^

I'm surrounded by Ohio St fans and during those years they absolutely hated Urban Meyer. Pure hatred. But once OSU started talking about hiring him, they magically forgot about all of the nasty things about him and started to worship him. These Ohio St fans are truly a different breed. Anything to win games...

michelin

July 7th, 2013 at 11:28 AM ^

"In a police report on the alleged bar assault, the pub's manager, Michael Taphorn, who had his ear drum broken by Hernandez, told investigators in 2007 he was trying to work out a financial settlement to keep the incident out of court.

Curiously, police said Taphorn was adamant about pressing charges when he first spoke to officers, but when police followed up with Taphorn, he told them "that he may request the charges be dropped," an investigator wrote in the supplemental report.

The investigator added: "Taphorn did state that he had been contacted by legal staff and coaches with UF and that they may be working on an agreement. However, nothing is finalized."

Police said Meyer was one of the first University of Florida staffers told about the punch, and Hernandez was never charged."

(or suspended)

UF's response seems to deny involvement but does not tell what did happened.  It does not deny that the Fla lawyer/booster who handled most athlete cases paid off Taphorn,and does not clarify where any payoff money came from. 

As the Hernandez trial proceeds over the next year or two, we should learn much more.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/07/06/urban-meyer-denies-…

Blue in Yarmouth

July 8th, 2013 at 8:38 AM ^

Being from Canada I'm not sure what the laws are like in the USA but in Canada it isn't the individual who decides if charges are laid. For instance, if there is a fight outside a bar and the police are called, they arrive and determine that there is enough evidence to show that an assault has taken place, they take that evidence to the crown who decides whether to press charges. It doesn't matter if the person who was assaulted wants to press charges or not, it is up to the police and crown to decide. Likewise, if a person wants to press charges against someone for something but the police find no evidence of it, they decide not to press charges. 

I just ask because it seems that this guy says he decided not to press charges even though the police anted him to? That just doesn't make a lot of sense to me unless things are done differently in the USA. Clarification would be helpful if anyone could provide it for me. 

Blue in Yarmouth

July 8th, 2013 at 9:01 AM ^

So that is basically the same as in Canada then. It seems as though the person can decide to press charges or not, but it is really their cooperation that is needed for the case, and if they decide not to cooperate than there isn't enough evidence and thus the crown and police decide not to go forward with charges.