For Coach Urban Meyer, discipline takes a back seat to winning
There is no denying the success that Coach Urban Meyer has brought to the University of Florida, but behind those sharp Nike Pro Combat Uniforms comes a world of bedlam. Since Meyer took over the reins in 2005, he amassed an impressive .851 winning percentage (57-10) and is a dominate 32-8 in SEC play bringing 2 BCS Championships and one Heisman trophy to Gainesville. What he also brought to the program was a failure to discipline and a failure to mentor his players. As he is in his 6th year at Florida, there have been an estimated 27-30 arrests under his tutelage and the way he handles the situation is a cause for concern. Meyer cannot control every move of every player, but what he can control is how he responds to each incident. He is strong on discipline, but he fails on the implementation of it, the most important part of the equation.
Meyer’s public persona is about discipline and control, but behind closed doors if you can block, tackle, or run, disobedience is pushed to the side. If you recall, All-American Jarvis “Puffy” Moss only missed one game in 2007 against powerhouse Western Carolina despite repeated failed drug tests; RB Marquis “Snatch and Grab” Hannah was charged with felony burglary, punishment to be determined; OL Carl “Can’t get Enough” Johnson was charged with misdemeanor violation of a sexual restraining order originating from date rape allegations, never missed a game; All-American CB Janoris “Run from the Law” Jenkins resisted arrest and had to be subdued by taser to calm him down, no significant punishment; DE Jermaine “Jabber” Cunningham was charged with misdemeanor battery after fighting a Jimmy John’s clerk, as punishment he was not allowed to accept any bowl-game gifts. This is just the tip of the iceberg with the common theme being players will not face any real punishment for their inexcusable actions.
To his credit, there are cases where Meyer will kick a player off the team for troubled behavior. The most notable was safety Jamar Hornsby, but it took multiple offenses and charges for Meyer to dismiss him. He was charged with misdemeanor property damage after throwing a man onto the hood of the car, charged with felony use of a stole credit card (made 70 charges from a dead female UF student), and he was caught selling his complimentary football tickets. Only then did Meyer finally decide to dismiss Hornsby. The message being sent is it takes multiple charges on multiple occasions to face any real discipline. Meyer is the epitome of promoting athleticism over accountability.
By contrast, Oregon State’s Tyler Thomas was found naked an intoxicated in someone’s home. Upon authorities arriving at the scene, Tyler attacked the police officers who had no choice but to take him down by stun gun. Tyler was charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief, and resisting arrest. Though Tyler has not been convicted, that kind of behavior was not tolerated in Oregon State and the school appropriately kicked him off the team. Maybe Tyler should transfer to Florida? I hear Meyer is soft on crime and is in need of a good 300 pound offensive lineman.
The latest example of Meyer being soft on crime is with his handling of Chris Rainey. After Rainey was charged with felony aggravated stalking, Meyer suspended Rainey, but he purposefully didn’t kick him off the team. Meyer said that he wants to wait to see the disposition of Rainey’s criminal case before he makes any final decision despite Rainey admitting to authorities that he sent threatening text messages such as “Time to Die Bitch” to his ex-girlfriend.
It’s easy to say Rainey didn’t mean it or his text messages were taken out of context, but let’s not forget about the University of Virginia lacrosse player who threatened and ultimately killed his ex-girlfriend. Rainey’s actions must be taken seriously because alleged domestic abuse is a serious problem.
In the eyes of Meyer, Rainey’s unacceptable behavior is irrelevant. Chris Rainey brings unparalleled speed, agility, and most of all playmaking skills to the program. With Florida’s lackluster performance on offense thus far it’s no wonder Meyer won’t make any final decision about Rainey. Meyer knows he needs Rainey on the field to significantly increase his chances of winning as the Gators enter SEC play. Meyer is undoubtedly leaving the door open for Rainey to return to the team.
Meyer’s actions are not a reflection of quality leadership rather it’s all about winning regardless of the cost. He is sending the message that playing for the University of Florida is akin to having a Get out of Jail card free. There is no accountability for your actions as long as you perform on the field and bring home wins.
Meyer gloats about his zero tolerance policy, but in reality it doesn’t really apply if you are a star athlete. Meyer has the opportunity, with Rainey, to show the nation that if you want to play for an elite program, you must live up to a higher standard–an issue that will be addressed in Part II of this piece.
If Chris Rainey sent threatening text messages to his daughter and Georgia Tech vollyeball player Nicki Meyer, I wonder how Urban would have responded..
