Jaguars' HC Urban Meyer Returns To 'The Swamp' For First Time Since 2010
GAINESVILLE, FL — Jacksonville Jaguars' head coach Urban Meyer is using his final week before the NFL season kicks off to travel just down the road for a trip back in time. Meyer is on hand in Gainesville tonight to watch the No. 13 Florida Gators Otake on FAU in their season opener. Meyer coached the Gators from 2005-2010. This is the first time he's returned to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, "The Swamp," since 2010.
Meyer did attend the Gators season opener in 2019, when Florida opened against the Miami Hurricanes in Week 0, in Orlando. Meyer was still with FoxSports at the time, and given the Week 0 kickoff, was able to be there in person to see his former team.
Meyer won two National Championships with the Gators, in 2006 and 2008 respectively. His offensive coordinator while at Utah and Florida, Dan Mullen, has been the head coach for the Gators since 2018.
"First one here since I was the coach. First one I had to drive in my own car," Meyer told Scott Carter of FloridaGators.com ahead of kickoff. Meyer was hanging out with former Gator head coach, the other National Championship winning skipper, Steve Spurrier.
"Coach Spurrier, we've become good friends. Love hanging out with him."
Meyer arrived in time to see Gator Walk, a tradition he created in which players come through a parade of Gator fans on their entrance into the stadium before kick-off.
"We started that while I was here,'' he told Carter. "You could feel the energy."
The Jaguars' head coach has one last free weekend before the regular season kicks off. The NFL did away with the fourth preseason game this year, allowing teams a weekend of rest in between the final preseason game and the regular season, which now includes a 17th regular season game.
Since arriving in Jacksonville this January, Meyer has oft referenced his time in Gainesville with the Gators, recalling former players like Ahmad Black or Chris Leak, as examples of what he wants to see out of the Jaguars players. On extremely humid days, he's also taken to joking about it being "Gainesville heat," which assumedly is hotter than the Jacksonville sea breeze temperatures.
The Jaguars will begin game week prep on Monday, as the first time NFL coach prepares for kick-off with the Jaguars against the Houston Texans.
