What number of Florida soccer gamers had been arrested when City Meyer was coach

Many gamers from the 2008 College of Florida soccer crew had been arrested, as depicted within the FX/Hulu sequence American sports activities historical past. Josh Rivera leads the American sports activities historical past launched as Aaron Hernandez, the previous highschool and NFL famous person tight finish who was convicted of murdering semi-professional footballer Odin Lloyd in 2015. The primary two episodes of American sports activities historical past seize a fundamental understanding of Aaron Hernandez's sophisticated upbringing, tumultuous household life and accelerated path to turning into a Florida Gator earlier than becoming a member of the NFL's New England Patriots in 2010.

American sports activities historical past Portrays a number of NFL gamers and coaches, together with Hernandez. It chronicles the peak of head coach City Meyer's tenure on the College of Florida, main the Gators to nationwide championship victories in 2006 and 2008. Though the College of Florida has probably the greatest soccer packages within the nation, a number of gamers have had real-life video games . run-ins with the regulation. Hernandez was among the many gamers arrested after battle in bar. He was additionally questioned in a taking pictures that occurred in Gainesville, however by no means confronted prison costs.

American sports activities historical past references 21 gamers from the 2008 College of Florida soccer crew, together with future NFL Most Priceless Participant Cam Newton, who stole a laptop computer and confronted a number of prison costs. As portrayed within the sequence, head coach City Meyer was pressured to cope with these quite a few arrests as they not solely put the way forward for his gifted soccer crew, however your entire College of Florida soccer group generally, in danger.

Meyer known as to fulfill with the college president to reply for these varied illicit actions accomplished by his gamers and justify his resolution to maintain all of them on the crew as an alternative of firing them. Throughout City Meyer's assembly with College of Florida President Bernie Machen in American sports activities historical pastPresident Machen famous a complete of 21 Florida gamers who've been arrested over the previous three years.

Meyer tries to rationalize the extreme quantity, saying that youngsters are susceptible to creating errors. The president responded by saying that the soccer program is turning into a stain on the college and that Meyer should take some disciplinary motion to cease the bleeding. Meyer understands, however is livid as he storms out of the president's workplace, saying: "Would we be having this dialog if we had been 8-0?".

Whereas American sports activities historical past references 21 arrests throughout Meyer's first three years as head coach, a complete of 31 College of Florida soccer gamers had been arrested throughout his six seasons as his head coach. American sports activities historical past because of this, it portrays Meyer having to make an instance of certainly one of his gamers. In the end, the sequence frames Cam Newton as a scapegoat who obtained the harshest punishment after a number of gamers, together with Hernandez, had been arrested or implicated in varied crimes.

In actuality, Newton was suspended from the Gators after receiving prison costs for stealing a laptop computer, however made the choice to switch on his personal. Different gamers, like Hernandez, had been suspended. After having 21 gamers lock up throughout his first three seasons as head coach on the College of Florida, Meyer would enhance and scale back that quantity to only 10 in his remaining three seasons with the crew.

Most of the gamers had been arrested for possession of marijuana or assault/assault. Among the most surprising and critical arrests embody Jamar Hornsby, who stole a deceased Florida scholar's bank card and used it to make greater than 70 purchases totaling greater than $3,000. He was one of many few gamers who had been reduce from the crew, whereas a lot of the arrested gamers confronted little to no self-discipline from the College of Florida and had their costs dropped.

Most of the College of Florida gamers had their felony costs modified to misdemeanors or dropped altogether. Whereas lots of the arrests made had been for marijuana possession, assault and theft, some particular incidents had been extra critical or unusual. In December 2009, Carlos Dunlap was charged with drunk driving after falling asleep at a site visitors mild. Chris Rainey was charged with felony stalking in September 2010. Jacques Rickerson was charged with felony home violence in November 2008 and was instantly dismissed from the crew. As pictured in American sports activities historical pastHernandez wasn't the one Florida Gator who bought into authorized bother.

City Meyer has had his personal controversies

Meyer had controversy in faculty and the NFL

City Meyer stays a revered faculty soccer coach by way of his teaching talents, however he has been concerned in a number of controversies which have tarnished his repute on and off the sphere. Meyer took a go away of absence from Florida after affected by chest pains and dehydration. He selected to step down as head coach in 2009 due to well being points and it appeared his head teaching profession was over. Nevertheless, he returned in 2010 and solely lasted yet another season earlier than retiring once more after that season.

Meyer stated it was once more for well being causes, however the investigation into the Florida soccer crew was launched shortly after his retirement. Mayer was accused of making a poisonous locker room tradition. "This system,” stated former Florida security Bryan Thomas, “was uncontrolled" (by way of Sports news). Regardless of the information, a 12 months later, Meyer was again and was the brand new coach at Ohio State. Meyer coached Ohio State to an 83–9 total report earlier than retiring, once more citing well being points.

Three years later, he returned to teaching, this time within the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was the worst season of Meyer's teaching profession. Meyers made a number of errors. He employed Chris Doyle regardless of accusations of racism and bullying all through his faculty profession. Doyle resigned lower than 48 hours later (through USA today). Meyer introduced in Tim Tebow, certainly one of his stars from Florida. He turned the quarterback into a good finish and launched him after only one recreation. The NFL fined him $100,000 for violating league guidelines in 2021.

Issues bought worse in 2021 when video emerged of Meyer after a recreation the place he was at a restaurant he owns in Ohio (through USA today). The video confirmed a girl who was not his spouse dancing close to Meyer, and the Jaguars reprimanded him for going to the restaurant as an alternative of returning to Jacksonville together with his crew after a loss. When Meyer blamed his assistants for the crew's struggles, it started to destroy his locker room. Lastly, on December 16, 2021, the Jags fired Meyer. His report was 2-11.

Alligators from 2008 that weren't trapped however are notable

Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Joe Haden

Though the 2008 Florida Gators had a variety of controversy, that doesn't imply your entire crew was inflicting issues. The best instance of a participant who remained nearly flawless whereas in faculty was the crew's beginning quarterback, Tim Tebow. His backup, Cam Newton, was arrested on laptop computer theft costs, however Tebow stored his nostril clear and remained probably the most loyal and sincere gamers on the Gators crew. Tebow led the crew to 2 nationwide championships and had a brief NFL profession after leaving faculty.

One other notable participant on the crew was Percy Harvin. A junior vast receiver, Harvin was a part of each of Florida's Nationwide Championship groups after which went on to have a incredible NFL profession. He was drafted within the first spherical by the Minnesota Vikings in 2009, and he later performed for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Buffalo Payments. He received a Tremendous Bowl, was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Yr and completed his profession with 353 receptions for 4,026 yards and 22 touchdowns earlier than retiring in 2016.

Joe Haden was a freshman on the 2008 Florida Gators crew. The cornerback went to the NFL when the Cleveland Browns made him their first choose within the 2010 NFL Draft. He performed for Cleveland for seven seasons after which the Pittsburgh Steelers for 5 seasons earlier than retiring after the 2021 NFL season. He was a three-time Professional Bowl choice within the NFL and completed his profession with 615 tackles and 29 interceptions.

Supply: Sports Chat