Blaming Urban Meyer for Aaron Hernandez’s Dilemma “Wrong and Irresponsible”


Urban Meyer

Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Former Florida and current Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has seen his name dragged through the mud recently for his alleged snitching on a Gators coach for a recruiting violation and more recently for defending his character. Meyer is accused by many of enabling former Gator and New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez in the aftermath of his arrest on murder charges.

In a USA Today report Meyer says he is not taking the blame.

“Prayers and thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim. Relating or blaming these serious charges to the University of Florida, myself or our staff is wrong and irresponsible.”

The notion that anyone was to blame for the murder of Odin Lloyd other than the people who pulled the trigger and orchestrated the murder further solidifies my belief that the lack of accountability is apparent across our country.

Blaming someone else for our problems is as American as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie. It should be enough to lay the blame at the feet of Hernandez and let the legal system run its course to discover what happened on the night Lloyd was murdered in cold blood.

In the world of college football where rivalries are chock-full of hatred drawing parallels to Hernandez’s transgressions at Florida under Meyer and drawing assumptions that Meyer is to blame for the plight of Hernandez is expected and also off-base. To blame his football coach who was in his life for three years and intimate he harbored a potential serial-killer is further nonsense that needs to end.

Meyer’s wife Shelley and daughter Gigi posted their thoughts on those deflecting the blame away from the alleged murderer on Twitter.

I do not see anyone blaming Patriots head coach Bill Belichick who was in effect his boss when Hernandez was accused of the murder. No one is blaming his family. No one is blaming his high school coach. Perhaps Meyer is an easy target, but just because it is easy does not make it right. Whatever happened to self accountability?

Meyer said:

“Our staff, myself and our families worked very hard to mentor and guide him…at the end of the day, there is free will. You can’t change people. You can set the table and try to help them, make sure there is a spiritual component in their life, make sure there is a family atmosphere. And that’s what we try to do — it’s what we’ve tried to do everywhere.”

Meyer tried to help Hernandez as best he could. He invited him into his home for Bible study and was there during the time Hernandez coped with the untimely loss of his father. Meyer cares about his players on and off the field.

Hernandez had no public issues after he was drafted by the Patriots, but as Meyer said you can’t change people, especially when those people do not want to be helped.

Meyer did what he believed to be right for Hernandez when he was under his watch, but the only person to blame for the plight of Hernandez is Hernandez.

Patrick’s a college football writer for Rant Sports and radio host on Sportstownchicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt and add him to your Google network.

Be sure to check out the Rant Sports 100 in 100 Series, a preview of the top 100 College Football Teams for the 2013 Season!



We Recommend

Partner with USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties