The shadow of Urban Meyer continues to linger over The Jaguars.
Yesterday, The Jaguars filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought against them by Josh Lambo. The former Duval kicker is seeking restitution for being allegedly kicked by his then head coach Meyer during practice. Lambo claims Meyer kicked him whilst he was stretching ahead of their final warmup contest against The Dallas Cowboys. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times in December last year, Lambo described the incident:
“I’m in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back. Urban Meyer, while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey Dips–t, make your f–king kicks!’ And kicks me in the leg.”
Lambo Legal Action
Lambo brought the lawsuit against The Jaguars in May, arguing his performances dipped as a result of the verbal and physical abuse he accuses his former head coach. At the time of the incident, Lambo informed his agent, who in turn informed the team. Lambo was cut by The Jaguars on October 19th following a sensational performance by teammate Matthew Wright in London. Wright kicked three field goals – one as time expired – to help Jacksonville record their first win of the season. Lambo had been with the team for four years.
Seeking his full $3.5m salary for the 2021 season plus damages, the kicker argued his release following his disclosure of the incident contravened state law. In Florida, whistle-blowers are essentially protected from unfair dismissal. Despite relieving Meyer of his duties less than 12 hours after the Times’ article, The Jaguars claim that neither Lambo nor his agent responded to inquiries from their legal team. They also insisted the case was predicated on the alleged criminal acts of Urban Meyer rather than the club.
Franchise Kicker
Josh Lambo, a former soccer goalkeeper who once had a trial at EPL team Everton, entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2015. He spent two seasons with the Chargers before joining the Jags in 2017. During his time in Jacksonville, Lambo became the most accurate kicker in franchise history. In 2019, he led the league in field goal percentage and was named a second team All-Pro. Following his release from the team, Lambo had a short stint with the Steelers on their practice squad. He remains a free agent.
Matthew Wright was waived by the franchise the day after Lambo filed his lawsuit. Jacksonville look set to head into training camp with Ryan Santoso and Andrew Mevis competing for kicking duties.
For The Jaguars, the lingering litigation is delaying the franchise drawing a line under the ill-fated Urban Meyer era. Considering the number of indiscretions during his tenure, it was surprising Meyer lasted 337 days in charge of the team. Lambo’s accusation of abuse proved to be the catalyst for change, but it may also be the final hurdle as Jacksonville looks to embark upon a new era under Doug Pederson.
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