Ohio State coach Urban Meyer's last season at Florida was in 2010. And while the cliche that time heals all wounds may be true in some respects, the three years that have passed haven't done that for former Florida player Jack Youngblood.
Youngblood was on Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi's radio show last week and had harsh words for the way Meyer left Florida. After Meyer took a leave of absence in early 2010 for health reasons, he resigned from Florida to spend more time with his family following the 2010 season. After spending a season as an analyst for ESPN, Meyer accepted the Ohio State job in November, 2011.
"When somebody tells me something to my face, I expect it to be truth," Youngblood told Bianchi Wednesday. "When it turns out not to be the truth, that doesn't (put him) very high on my Christmas card list."
Youngblood, who was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2001, also said he didn't like Meyer's proclamations about character while at Florida. While former quarterback and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was heralded as an example for the football program, 25 Gators were arrested in Meyer's six years as Florida coach.
"He (Meyer) said character was the No. 1 thing and the main thing he was recruiting on," Youngblood later said in the interview. "That didn't happen. And then all of the stuff at the end of (his UF stint), there just was just no consistency to me."
One of the players arrested includes former Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez, who (rightfully or wrongly) became a symbol of Meyer's tenure through his summer arrest for the murder of Odin Lloyd.
Youngblood isn't in the minority amongst former Florida players, either. Many of Meyer's former players enjoyed Ohio State's loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game in December.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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