- Jun 12, 2016
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I remember when the account of his death was published. Couldn't believe it at the time, and wondered what might have been had he stayed on the team. It's interesting now to hear Urb's thoughts on the matter, and I can't help but think of Hernandez and some others.
Any thoughts?
https://www.seccountry.com/florida/urban-meyer-avery-atkins-death-florida-football-ohio-state
The way Urban Meyer dealt with former Florida cornerback’s Avery Atkins’ off-field issues troubled the coach for years.
Recently, the Ohio State coach spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Bruce Feldman and discussed his evolution as a coach and a leader. As part of the in-depth piece about Meyer, the former Gators coach mentioned how Atkins’ situation changed Meyer’s view on player discipline.
Atkins was a freshman on Florida’s 2005 team, and he was projected to be a starter in 2006, when the Gators won the national title. However, the player was released from his scholarship in June 2006 because of a domestic battery charge.
In July 2007, Atkins died of an apparent Ecstasy overdose in Port Orange, Fla. He was 20. Shortly before his death, he was arrested on charges of purchasing crack cocaine.
Meyer coached Florida from 2005-10. In the Sports Illustrated piece, he spoke about how Atkins’ situation affected him deeply.
“Could’ve been a first-rounder,” Meyer told Feldman of Atkins. “Pushes a girl. I kick him off the team. The streets take him over in Daytona.
“I lived with that for three or four years thinking, ‘Wait a minute, we lost this kid on our watch.’ That’s when we started giving kids second, third and fourth chances. I would not get rid of a kid, and it bit us a little bit.
“I went 20 years in my career and never really had stuff like that. I was convinced at the time that if he’d have stayed in our program, we would’ve gotten him right, and how do you ever let that happen on your watch?”
Any thoughts?
https://www.seccountry.com/florida/urban-meyer-avery-atkins-death-florida-football-ohio-state
The way Urban Meyer dealt with former Florida cornerback’s Avery Atkins’ off-field issues troubled the coach for years.
Recently, the Ohio State coach spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Bruce Feldman and discussed his evolution as a coach and a leader. As part of the in-depth piece about Meyer, the former Gators coach mentioned how Atkins’ situation changed Meyer’s view on player discipline.
Atkins was a freshman on Florida’s 2005 team, and he was projected to be a starter in 2006, when the Gators won the national title. However, the player was released from his scholarship in June 2006 because of a domestic battery charge.
In July 2007, Atkins died of an apparent Ecstasy overdose in Port Orange, Fla. He was 20. Shortly before his death, he was arrested on charges of purchasing crack cocaine.
Meyer coached Florida from 2005-10. In the Sports Illustrated piece, he spoke about how Atkins’ situation affected him deeply.
“Could’ve been a first-rounder,” Meyer told Feldman of Atkins. “Pushes a girl. I kick him off the team. The streets take him over in Daytona.
“I lived with that for three or four years thinking, ‘Wait a minute, we lost this kid on our watch.’ That’s when we started giving kids second, third and fourth chances. I would not get rid of a kid, and it bit us a little bit.
“I went 20 years in my career and never really had stuff like that. I was convinced at the time that if he’d have stayed in our program, we would’ve gotten him right, and how do you ever let that happen on your watch?”