Urban Meyer gave Erin Andrews advice on how to deal with adversity
When Fox sideline reporter Erin Andrews was struggling after a nude video of her was posted on the internet, she sought advice from Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.
In a feature story for Sports Illustrated, The MMQB's Emily Kaplan writes about how Andrews dealt with being a stalking victim, including leaning on sports and those in the sports community for support.
Andrews became close with Meyer and his wife, Shelley, when Andrews covered the Gators while Meyer was Florida's coach. After the video of Andrews recorded through the peephole in the door of her Nashville hotel room was released in 2009, Andrews was devastated. Her bond with the Meyer family made Urban one of the first people she reached out to for support.
When the scandal first broke, she consulted Urban Meyer for advice. What is going to happen if I meet a coach or a player for the first time and this is all they know me for? “In a way, this all has allowed me relate to players more,” Andrews says. “I understand what it’s like to be the story.”
When Andrews's lawsuit against the Marriott hotel chain went to trial last winter, she continued to receive support from Meyer, who texted her on the day the verdict was announced: “Shelley and I have been thinking about you. Justice served.” Andrews was awarded $55 million in damages.
Read the full story behind Andrews's journey through the toughest year of her life, which included the civil trial and a cancer diagnosis, on The MMQB and in this week's magazine.
– Erin Flynn
