Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer was trending on Sunday for all the wrong reasons, considering his team had already played on Thursday.
Video footage and photos of Meyer went viral on Sunday that appeared to show a woman dancing alongside the former Ohio State coach at a Columbus, Ohio-area bar. The first-year Jags coach apologized publicly on Monday to the team and his family.
"I just apologized to the team and the staff for being a distraction," Meyer said in a Monday press conference. "It was stupid. So I explained everything that happened and owned it. It was stupid to…I should not have myself in that kind of position.
Meyer said that he originally stayed back in Ohio to see his grandkids following Thursday's 24-21 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati. He said that the incident occurred while at dinner one night as a nearby group asked to take a picture with him.
"I stayed to see the grandkids and we all went to dinner that night at a restaurant," Meyer said. "There was a big group next to [us] and they wanted me to come over and take pictures and I did. They were trying to pull me out on the dance floor screwing around and I should have left."
Still seeking their first win of the season, the Jaguars will head to Tennessee next weekend to face the Titans. Despite the distraction caused by the video, Meyer said the team remains focused as the pressure continues to mount with Jacksonville currently on a 19-game losing streak.
"I’ve always been so defensive of them," Meyer said. "I remember when Trevor [Lawrence] told me he was going to go to Vegas for his bachelor party, I was just, ‘my gosh, man, be careful. Surround yourself.’ Because I’ve seen this happen.
"[On] the team, I spoke to a bunch of leaders one on one, spoke to all the players. They’re good, they’re focused on Tennessee, and I apologized again for being a distraction. The coach should not be a distraction."
