Josh Lambo’s tenure as the kicker for the Jacksonville Jaguars came to an end in October after four years with the organization. Now, Lambo is speaking out about one incident that happened earlier this year while the team was preparing for a preseason tilt with the Dallas Cowboys involving embattled head coach Urban Meyer.
Lambo, while speaking to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, said that Meyer does not refer to the specialists by their names, instead calling them “sh*tbag, dipsh*t, or whatever the hell it was.” But that apparently didn’t get under Lambo’s skin nearly as much as what Meyer did next.
“I’m in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back,” Lambo told Stroud. “… 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.”
The kick, Lambo claims, was only about a five out of 10 in terms of how hard Meyer kicked, and after telling his then-coach “don’t you ever f*cking kick me again,” Meyer allegedly responded, “I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever the f–k I want.” The following day, Lambo says the two had a conversation, in which he said Meyer “seemingly halfway understood” that Lambo had some issues with how he was being coached. In response, Lambo claims Meyer told him that he’s the first player in his career that he’d “ever let speak to me that way,” and that if he did it again, he’d be cut.
“I said, ‘I’m genuinely not trying to be sarcastic here, Urban, but what did I say that offended you?’” Lambo remembered asking Meyer. “He said, ‘When you responded to me out there on the practice field in front of everybody. If you have an issue and don’t like me kicking you, well then you keep that to yourself and you wait until after practice and after meetings and you come find me in the office and tell me privately.’”
In a statement, Meyer denied the incident ever happened, saying, “Josh’s characterization of me and this incident is completely inaccurate, and there are eyewitnesses to refute his account. (General manager) Trent (Baalke) and I met with him on multiple occasions to encourage his performance, and this was never brought up. I was fully supportive of Josh during his time with the team and wish him nothing but the best.”
This is the latest incident in what has been a roller coaster NFL tenure for Meyer. Earlier this year, he came under fire for staying behind after the team played in Cincinnati on Thursday Night Football and traveling to Columbus, where he was caught getting cozy with a woman at a bar who is not his wife. And this week, an explosive report alleged that, among other things, Meyer called his staff “losers.” After a loss to the Tennessee Titans this week, Jacksonville fell to 2-11 on the season.