Josh Lambo, who said Urban Meyer kicked him at practice, files lawsuit against Jaguars
Josh Lambo has filed a lawsuit against the Jacksonville Jaguars, after he said he was kicked by Urban Meyer last season.
Lambo filed his lawsuit against the team on Tuesday in Duval County, Florida, seeking his salary from the 2021 season and damages for emotional distress, according to the Tampa Bay Times. He said that after Meyer, who was fired by the Jaguars last season, kicked him and verbally abused him, his performance tanked.
Lambo was released in October, just a feww games into his fifth season with Jacksonville.
“Mr. Meyer’s hostility had the intended effect on Mr. Lambo, resulting in Mr. Lambo uncharacteristically missing difficult and long kicks from the ranges of 55 yards, 52 yards and 58 yards,” the lawsuit says, via the Times.
“Multiple skilled players missed assignments, dropped passes or otherwise failed to perform on-field directly resulting in the Jaguars’ game losses. However, Mr. Lambo, the player who objected to the unlawful activity of Mr. Meyer, was the only player Mr. Meyer and [the Jaguars] cut from the roster.”
As part of his lawsuit, Lambo said that he was unable to sleep, practice normally and perform at the level he’s capable of.
Lambo said Urban Meyer kicked him, called him ‘dips**t’
Lambo said that Meyer kicked him at practice after he missed field goals in a pair of preseason games.
“I’m in a lunge position," Lambo told the Times last year. "Left leg forward, right leg back ... Urban Meyer, while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey dips***, make your f***ing kicks.’ And kicks me in the leg.
“It certainly wasn’t as hard as he could’ve done it, but it certainly wasn’t a love tap. Truthfully, I’d register it as a five (out of 10). Which in the workplace, I don’t care if it’s football or not, the boss can’t strike an employee."
Lambo then confronted Meyer about the incident.
"And for a second, I couldn’t believe it actually happened," Lambo continued. "Pardon my vulgarity, I said, ‘Don’t you ever f***ing kick me again’ And his response was: ‘I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever the f*** I want.'"
Lambo said that Meyer threatened to cut him from the team if he spoke to him like that again. Lambo also said that he reported the incident to his agent, who told the team.
Rick Stroud, who broke the news for The Times, said that Meyer's lawyers sent a threatening letter trying to stop the story from coming out. He also said that Meyer's lawyers offered a few players to say that Meyer didn't kick Lambo that hard. Meyer called Lambo's account "completely inaccurate."
"Josh’s characterization of me and this incident is completely inaccurate, and there are eyewitnesses to refute his account,” Meyer told the Times. “[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.”
The alleged incident was one of several reported during Meyer’s short tenure with the team. Meyer was fired after 13 games.