Can Meyer survive Ohio State scandal?

George Schroeder: University has to consider coach’s tenure at Florida

“Broken.”

That’s how Urban Meyer described the Florida program at the end of the 2010 regular season, shortly before he resigned, citing health issues. Considering all of the success during Meyer’s tenure, it was a startling admission.

But the success of two national titles in three seasons, only 15 losses in six seasons and dozens of NFL draft picks were counterbalanced by several dozen arrests and multiple reports of failed drug tests and other misdeeds by players.

As Ohio State investigates what its coach knew and did, or didn’t do, in response to past domestic violence allegations against an assistant coach, it’s

difficult to see how the university can evaluate whatever it finds without considering Meyer’s tenure at Florida.

The final tally in Gainesville included more than 30 player arrests in Meyer’s six seasons. It included running back Chris Rainey, who was charged with aggravated stalking of a girlfriend (he texted her: “Time to die”).

Jamar Hornsby, who stole and charged almost $3,000 on the credit card of the deceased girlfriend of a Gators teammate. Ronnie Wilson, charged with aggravated assault after an altercation in which he fired a rifle (he was kicked off the team for a year and then reinstated).

Meanwhile, if Tim Tebow were the poster child for Florida football, his opposite was Aaron Hernandez, the talented but troubled tight end who was convicted of murder after playing for the NFL’s New England Patriots. While at Florida, Hernandez was a suspect in a 2007 shooting in Gainesville which re- mains unsolved and investigated but not charged for felony battery.

In addition to the incidents that became public, later accounts included allegations that Meyer had separate rules for stars — or that those core values could be occasionally overlooked.

When he resigned on Dec. 9, 2010, Meyer appeared to be broken, too. He was gaunt.

He had coached the 2010 season after first resigning for health reasons in December 2009, then changing his mind and returning a day later; the aborted exit came a few weeks after Meyer had been rushed to the hospital with chest pains.

In that final season, the Gators lost five games, half as many as they’d lost in Meyer’s first five seasons total. Later reports indicate the 2010 season was marked by internal turmoil. Looking back to when Meyer resigned for good, was it really burnout? And if real, could the health issues have been related to the stress from the apparent unraveling of the program?

Meyer spent a season on an ESPN set as an analyst. But with the Ohio State job open — ironically, because Jim Tres- sel had been fired for off-field issues — he jumped back into coaching, again at one of college football’s goliaths, with all of its expectations and pressures.

Meyer said he had found balance. In his second act, he wasn’t going to work as long; he was going to spend more time with his family.

There were also stories about the culture he hoped to create, and how he’d come to understand and embrace a more holistic approach to culture building.

The “core values” for Ohio State’s program are literally written on a wall at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center: Decisions.

Honesty.

Treat Women with Respect.

No Drugs Stealing Weapons. Those date to his time at Florida. At Ohio State, Meyer has said several times he has a zero tolerance policy in regard to how players treat women. One notable exception would be running back Carlos Hyde, who allegedly punched a woman at a nightclub in 2013, before his senior season.

Though Hyde was not charged, he was suspended for three games; he went on to run for more than 1,000 yards and was named all-Big Ten. But OSU’s recruiting has seemingly focused on fewer character risks; there have been fewer public issues.

But then the domestic violence allegations against wide receivers coach Zach Smith surfaced last month. Meyer admitted knowing of an incident between Smith and his wife in 2009, while Smith was on the Florida staff, but initially denied knowing anything about allegations from 2015.

“I was never told about anything and nothing ever came to light,” Meyer told reporters July 24 at Big Ten media day regarding those allegations. “I’ve never had a conversation about it. I know nothing about it. First I heard about that was last night.”

That “last night,” or July 23, was also when Smith was fired. The story was only beginning to unfold.

It’s hard to know what Ohio State’s investigation will uncover. It might be impossible to prove what Meyer knew and did or did not do. But his actions, or inaction, will likely be viewed through the prism of the “broken” Florida program he left behind.