Tag: Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer scoffs at idea that 2019 Redskins failures the fault of Dwayne Haskins

Haskins college coach stood up for the QB, saying it’s crazy to think that a rookie could thrive in a damaged culture like Washington’s.

There’s no arguing that Washington Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins has had a number of struggles in his young NFL career — they were on display for everyone to see in 2019. He misread protections and overthrew balls, and he failed to get into the endzone more than a handful of times.

What is up for debate, however, is just how much of Haskins’ failures in his rookie season were actually his fault. The production, yes, is controlled by him and him only. But the people he had around him, by no choice of his own, never set him up to succeed.

“So it’s the quarterback’s fault?” Haskins college coach Urban Meyer said, via NFL.com. “Nevermind the fact that their coach got fired, the place is a mess, there’s this going on, there’s this going on, this going on. A lot of stuff I heard from behind the scenes — cause, once again I have several players there — yet it’s Dwayne’s fault.”

There is a reason that Haskins was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, and Meyer knows that. The two had just come off of a great season at Ohio State, where Haskins had broken school records for passing, throwing 50 touchdowns on the season. Meyer has seen first hand what the kid can do when given the chance to succeed, and that’s what he thinks was the main issue with the 2019 Redskins.

“I hate to be so simplistic on this, but you better surround him with some really good players,” Meyer continued. “The NFL is amazing to me, [in] that the minute a team, they draft a quarterback, they put him on a very bad team or there are a lot of culture issues. Which, I don’t want to start throwing stones, but I do know. I talk to my guys. I talk to a lot of these players. So it’s the quarterback’s fault now that their coach got fired after what, [Week 5]. They were in complete disarray and it’s the quarterback’s fault now. I wish college was that easy. For some reason it’s not the quarterback’s fault, it’s the coach’s fault. To me, it’s about culture and leadership. You want Dwayne to be a great player? Surround him with some really great players. Surround him with a really elite culture.”

Step one of the culture change process took place during the season when Jay Gruden was fired. Step two was checked off when Bruce Allen was canned as well. Step three came days later when Ron Rivera was hired, and the ball is now rolling in the right direction. There’s no telling if a handful of months is enough time to reset the culture in Washington, but we at least know that Haskins is now being set up to succeed, and the coaching staff is adamant about getting solid players around him who can help shoulder some of the load, and some of the blame.

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Urban Meyer has high praise for former Ohio State players Haskins, McLaurin, Young, now on the Washington Redskins

Urban Meyer took some time with Redskins.com to discuss the former Ohio State trio of Dwayne Haskins, Terry McLaurin, and Chase Young.

Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has more time to talk to players and get involved with the NFL these days. Instead of putting together juggernaut college football teams that beat Michigan like a drum every year, he now spends his time with family and as an analyst, but he has time for many other things.

He recently took some time out to discuss a trio of former Buckeyes with Redskins.com that are now a part of the nucleus in Washington. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins and receiver Terry McLaurin were drafted last year, while defensive end Chase Young was taken as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The trio makes up three of the best players on the Redskins, and if anyone can provide some insight on each, it’s their former head coach at Ohio State.

It’s no surprise Myer has high regard for all three, but it’s interesting to hear what he says about each, and what makes them tick.

Here is what Meyer says about all three.

Next … Meyer’s comments on Dwayne Haskins

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Urban Meyer calls Chase Young ‘arguably the most talented guy’ to be drafted in years

Urban Meyer got the chance to watch some great pass-rushers in college, and he thinks Chase Young could be the most talented of the group.

Has anyone noticed former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer hanging around the Washington Redskins quite a bit as of late? Well before you think too much of it, like him gunning for an executive-level job or cozying up next to ownership — which he definitely could be doing — consider that three of Meyer’s best players over the past few years are now playing in Washington, and they have a great chance to find some success in 2020.

Dwayne Haskins, Chase Young, and Terry McLaurin are all together once again after sharing a locker room in Columbus while playing under Meyer. If you ask the coach about any of them, he’ll wax poetic for you quite a bit, but there’s no one who gets higher praise than Young, who was the No. 2 overall pick in 2020 and largely regarded as the best defensive and overall player in the class.

“You’re getting arguably the most talented guy to go to the NFL in quite a while,” Meyer said, via Redskins.com. “I’m not saying he’s the best player yet, because he has to earn that…but just as far as God-given height, size, strength, speed…you got it all.”

That’s a bold statement to make, obviously, but Young’s 30.5 sacks in college put him in rarified air, and have him being compared to top-end rushers like Nick and Joey Bosa, who both played at Ohio State under Meyer as well. Everyone around those players got a chance to watch greatness at the very beginning, and determine for themselves who was the best.

“In college, I felt like Chase was the most productive of the three,” McLaurin said during Super Bowl week. “That doesn’t take anything away from [Joey and Nick]. That just tells you how good he can be.”

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Urban Meyer thinks Bill Belichick will make Jarrett Stidham great

Meyer spoke glowingly about the New England Patriots quarterback during a recent radio appearance.

There is no doubt that Urban Meyer has one of the most successful coaching resumes in college football history. Between his work at Utah, Florida, and at Ohio State, his accolades (three college championships) speak for themselves. On Wednesday, he spoke to Colin Cowherd during an appearance on “The Herd.”

In the conversation, he brought up Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

Meyer said that Stidham would be a great player for the Patriots. Citing the New England Patriots successful offensive system and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Meyer has high hopes for the young quarterback. Anytime Meyer endorses a player, it certainly makes people take notice.

It’s also worth noting that Meyer recruited Stidham, before the latter decided to go to Baylor.

“The common denominator of every great quarterback – he’s on a great team,” Meyer, who recruited Stidham before the Texas native signed with Baylor, told Cowherd. “The great quarterbacks who go to bad teams also become bad quarterbacks. … You put (Stidham) with Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, that system … They’re going to make that quarterback a great player.”

With how successful Meyer has been, his endorsement certainly is a positive. Stidham has had several endorsements this offseason. Now, it’s up to him to go out and prove that he is worthy of them.

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College Football Morning Announcements: April 6, 2020

What happened yesterday in college football and Notre Dame football news? Nick Shepkowski fills you in on today’s episode of the podcast.

Good morning!  Time again for your College Football Morning Announcements with Nick Shepkowski.

Notre Dame fans are aware of the huge news that came, both good and bad, in the recruiting world Tuesday.  I break that down in the second episode of the CFB Morning Announcements Podcast.

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Subscribe to Nick Shepkowski’s CFB Morning Announcements on Apple Podcasts

Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick spoke on Tuesday as well and shared his thoughts on Notre Dame/Navy in Ireland while also discussing if the Irish would be able to play a full schedule in 2020.

And finally – some old rivals in college football are finally getting back together again (in 2025).  We discuss that and share some old rivalries we’d like to see return again soon.

Take a listen, hit subscribe and please share with those college football fans around you.  We’ll have fun with this podcast and make it your source for college football and Notre Dame athletics information each morning.

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25 Games that were most influential in growth of spread offense – Oklahoma appeared in 20% of these games!

WATCH: Urban Meyer has message for Ohio State players looking forward to the NFL draft

Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer had a message for all of his former players looking to have their names called in the NFL draft.

During his time at Ohio State, former head coach Urban Meyer recruited at an extremely high level. It’s one of the reasons we see so many Buckeyes not only getting to the NFL, but making a significant and lengthy impact in the league. He created a brotherhood, one that has continually moved on to playing on Sundays.

Now that he’s no longer steering the program, that doesn’t mean he isn’t still emotionally tied to many of the Ohio State players looking to have their names called in the 2020 NFL Draft. In fact, Meyer recruited all the guys looking to realize a dream this weekend.

And yeah, it’s real, live sports.

So, you won’t be surprised that he has a message for his former players ahead of all the fun and shenanigans tonight. Click on the below and watch and listen to what Meyer had to say to those players ahead of the draft.

Remember to tune into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft Thursday night beginning at 8 PM Eastern.

 

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Urban Meyer says Terry McLaurin is one of his favorite players of all time

Meyer got to see the start of McLaurin’s impressive career in college, and his work ethic after being told he wasn’t good enough stood out.

Terry McLaurin has seen his stock rise in Washington exponentially over the past year in the NFL, as Redskins fans shower him with love and adoration following this record-breaking rookie season.

While he has quickly become a fan-favorite in Washington, he has also established himself as a favorite of his former coach in college — a future Hall-of-Famer — Urban Meyer.

Meyer’s love for McLaurin isn’t due to his accolades, but rather his hard work and dedication to the sport. When talking to NBC Sports Washington, Meyer told JP Finlay that when Terry got to Ohio State, he had a lot of work left to do before he could have an impact and see the field. What McLaurin did after hearing that is what many coaches dream of.

“‘You need to go home and work on this, this and this and we’ll check you out in a couple of weeks,'” Meyer told McLaurin, a conversation he recalled during his recent one-on-one with JP Finlay and the Redskins Talk podcast.

Per Meyer, McLaurin responded, working “five, six hours a day” to improve in the areas he needed to. Many wouldn’t have handled that conversation so well — it’s not exactly the best start to one’s experience at school — but McLaurin sure did.

And that’s one of the reasons why Meyer bestowed the following label on the now-Redskin.

“He’s one of my favorites of all time,” he said.

Any fan of the Redskins can see these qualities still ever-present in McLaurin, as his dynamic rookie season sets him up for a strong career in Washington. While Meyer may be familiar with some other players on the Redskins’ roster — both QB Dwayne Haskins and expected first-round pick DE Chase Young are from Ohio State — it’s McLaurin who the former coach envisions as the core member of a team.

“He’s got everything you need to build a team around.”

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Can Alex Smith be the mentor that pushes Dwayne Haskins to success?

Dwayne Haskins struggled in his rookie season, but with solid coaching and a mentor like Alex Smith, success could be around the corner.

There are several factors that can go into a young quarterback’s development in the NFL. Whether it’s the time he puts into the craft or the teammates surrounding him, the leap that a rookie quarterback makes during his first offseason can often be crucial to determining how impressive his career will eventually be.

For Washington Redskins’ Dwayne Haskins, his coming months of training and growing are going to be watched intensely, as the entire District of Columbia waits to see if he will rise above the bust narrative that has followed him since being drafted with the No. 15 pick in 2019. One thing that Haskins has going for him is a dedicated coaching staff who won’t be rushing him to be perfect right away like the last staff was, and he also has some great mentors in the program to look after.

One of those mentors is QB Alex Smith, who has been on the mend from a gruesome leg injury suffered in the 2018 season. While working to rehab back to full strength, Smith has been a great mentor to Haskins, working to get him comfortable in the league and ready to perform up to expectations.

“I think Alex Smith is one of the finest players people I’ve ever been around. He’s brilliant. He’s so mature,” said Urban Meyer, the former coach of Haskins at Ohio State, and Smith at Utah. “He’s still one of the best I’ve ever been around. So I think I think they should utilize his skill to help Dwayne, and I hope Dwayne takes it.”

Stories of a Haskins and Smith bond were prevalent throughout the 2019 season, as Haskins was often seen with the veteran passer during or after practice, breaking down plays and what Dwayne could do better to succeed. While the results might not have been great, Meyer doesn’t think that should all be on Haskins, as it wasn’t with Smith when he was a young player in the NFL.

“When you take a kid like Alex Smith and you put him in just a terrible team, and [people say] ‘Alex can’t play in the NFL,’ that’s bizarre to me that a quarterback will be held accountable because he’s on a really, really bad team,” Meyer said.

So what happens when you put Haskins on a solid roster that can actually compete week in and week out? We can’t know for sure, but if he continues to progress as we’ve seen this offseason, the results should be compelling.

“I tell you what, you put Dwayne Haskins around a great team, he’ll be a great player,” Meyer said. “I’ve been saying that.”

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Urban Meyer is slightly concerned about Dwayne Haskins’ social media habits

While speaking to NBC Sports, Urban Meyer expressed concern with Dwayne Haskins’ social media habits.

Former Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins had a rough start to his career with the Redskins, but he started to gain confidence as he started to improve at the end of the year when he was given the keys to the offense.

But it’s not all good news. With a new head coach in Ron Rivera, there could be a short leash once Haskins gets his shot to continue the momentum during the 2020-2021 start to the season.

Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is s staunch supporter of his former quarterback and knows that he has the work ethic, skill, and mindset to be the face of the Redskins’ franchise. However, there’s one thing Meyer wishes Haskins would be more cautious about. Social media.

Most guys Haskins’ age have grown up with social media, but few have the discipline and understanding to know how damaging it can be. There are good points to things like Twitter and Instagram too, but there have also been far too many stories of high-profile athletes getting into hot water with overexuberance.

Meyer thinks the former Heisman finalist should be more careful.

“Dwayne likes the social media,” Meyer told NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay. “He’s all over the social media. I worry about that a little bit. I like the Tom Brady approach. Just focus on your team.”

Haskins has already had one embarrassing moment with using social media during a game. He missed the final snap over his first career win over the Detroit Lions when he was snapping a selfie with fans in the stands. Case Keenum had to go into the game in victory formation and take the final snap.

We haven’t yet heard too much from Haskins on what Meyer says about his social media habits, but this type of thing definitely won’t fly with Rivera. Now, to Haskins’ credit, it’s not like his posts have any off-limits or controversial things. Quite the contrary.

But still, maybe a little less self-promotion and in-game marketing would probably be a good thing.

WATCH: Urban and Shelley Meyer have a message of gratitude for COVID-19 front-line workers

Urban and Shelley Meyer had a message for those working the front-lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch what they said here.

Former Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer may not be leading the Buckeye football program any longer, but he’s still very much in the spotlight. He and wife Shelley are still obviously closely tied to the OSU program and involved in the community.

They both took some time out of their daily lives to post a message of gratitude on Twitter Saturday. Together, they had a message for those at the OSU Wexner medical center, police and public safety workers, and those in the service industry.

Urbs seems to still be rockin’ the quarantine beard and looking refreshed. You can listen to the couple’s entire message by clicking on the below video shared by Shelley Meyer.