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Things just got interesting. Congratulations coach @CoachUrbanMeyer 💪🏾 https://t.co/aZgzqmQ7Id
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) January 15, 2021
The Jacksonville Jaguars shook up the football world on Thursday when they named Urban Meyer their new head coach, and some of his former players took notice. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was a standout on Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes teams, and the wideout took time to congratulate his old coach on Twitter after the Jaguars announced their new hire.
Many former Buckeyes have started their NFL careers with the Saints in recent years, all of whom were recruited by and connected to Meyer at some point. The list includes Thomas and cornerback Marshon Lattimore, though safety Malcolm Jenkins graduated from Ohio State before Meyer was hired back in 2012.
While it’s possible they could cross paths again soon, at a preseason game or league event, the Saints and Jaguars won’t play each other in the regular season until at least 2023. New Orleans is scheduled to face the AFC East in 2021 before drawing the AFC North in 2022, with their next matchup with the entire AFC South the following year.
While Meyer brings an impressive resume to Jacksonville — his Buckeyes run finished with an 83-9 record, and he won national championship titles with both Ohio State and the Florida Gators — he’s also brought along some baggage, like the controversy surrounding his defense of former assistant coach Zach Smith amid domestic abuse allegations and a streak of dozens of arrests among his players at Florida.
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