Orlando Sentinel

Kicker’s suit could shed light on Meyer’s time with Jaguars

- By Mark Long

Kicker Josh Lambo’s lawsuit against the Jacksonvil­le Jaguars could uncover more details about former coach Urban Meyer’s tumultuous NFL tenure.

Lambo’s attorney is seeking a host of records pertaining to Meyer’s time with the team, including “any documentat­ion whatsoever of abusive or toxic workplace behavior under Meyer’s leadership and any investigat­ions into these allegation­s.”

Lambo filed a lawsuit Monday in the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court in Duval County seeking damages in excess of $30,000 for emotional distress and reputation­al harm caused by Meyer.

The Jaguars fired Meyer on Dec. 15, hours after the Tampa Bay Times reported Meyer had kicked Lambo during a practice months earlier. Meyer was fired with cause, although the team insists Lambo’s accusation had nothing to do with owner Shad Khan’s decision to part with the longtime college coach.

Lambo, the fourth-most accurate kicker in NFL history, missed a field-goal attempt in each of

Jacksonvil­le’s first two preseason games. In a practice before the final exhibition game in August, Lambo says he was stretching when Meyer approached him, kicked him in the leg and said, “Hey [expletive], make your [expletive] kicks!”

Lambo says he told Meyer to never strike him again, but Meyer responded with, “I’m the head ball coach. I’ll kick you whenever the [expletive] I want.”

The Jaguars declined comment on the lawsuit.

Lambo’s lawsuit includes a request for a jury trial and a lengthy list of discovery requests to the Jaguars:

Among them: „

■ Documentat­ion pertaining to an internal investigat­ion into Lambo’s objection about Meyer’s conduct.

„ ■ Documentat­ion pertaining to a third-party investigat­ion into Lambo’s objection about Meyer’s conduct, including any final reports or recommenda­tions made by third-party investigat­ors.

„ ■ Documentat­ion pertaining to other investigat­ions into Meyer’s workplace behavior in 2021 or 2022.

„ ■ Documentat­ion showing efforts by the Jaguars to inform the NFL or the NFL Players Associatio­n about Meyer’s workplace behavior.

„ ■ Text messages, emails, notes, voicemails and audio/video footage regarding Meyer’s response to Lambo’s initial complaint about being kicked and berated at practice.

„ ■ Text messages, emails, notes, voicemails and audio/video footage regarding interactio­ns between Meyer and Lambo after the player’s complaint.

„ ■ Documentat­ion pertaining to Lambo’s position on the team in 2021 and his terminatio­n.

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