After a brief month hiatus from the Columbus media, Urban Meyer met with reporters Friday for the first time since Ohio State's Spring Game April 18 and its trip to the White House. He spoke about Braxton Miller's progress, but mainly on Ohio State's plan for its players after football is over, which includes a job fair Friday evening.
- Meyer opened by speaking about how great a job he thinks Ohio State and college athletics in general are doing to prepare student-athletes for life after football: "There was an era where when you graduated, you had a job ... Now they put so much time and effort into this and it doesn't always matter."
- Meyer said he first realized the importance of doing things outside of just football with his players when his daughter started getting recruited to play volleyball.
- Meyer said once a week — and sometimes more — the team takes time away from the game to prepare players for life after they leave Ohio State.
- "The normal student, a good student, has an opportunity to have internships, there's time ... unfortunately for us there isn't time for that." - Meyer added that the month of May and the May semester had been of utmost importance for his team getting on-the-job training.
- "The amount of time myself, Ryan Stamper (coordinator of player development) and other people put into this, is endless," Meyer said.
- At the job fair Friday evening, Meyer is excited to see what they are made of: "They'll be in a shirt and tie, recently got haircuts, we've had the barber in here recently."
- After the fair, Meyer said he plans to meet with each player individually to get an update from them on their progress.
- Meyer spoke about the importance of having former players come in and talk to the current ones about benefitting from the Real Life Wednesdays and the Life After Football programs.
- On players who have already graduated — Braxton Miller and Tyvis Powell, for example — Meyer said they're working toward master's degrees. Specifically about Miller, the quarterback is taking a "very light load" of classes because of how much rehabilitation he's got in front of him.
- Meyer said Ohio State is such a great avenue for getting to the NFL because it is a big-time program, but the necessity to prepare for life outside of it is becoming more needed by the day.
- "I'm going to learn a lot of guys today," Meyer said referring to the job fair. Meyer will not be at the fair, though, his son, Nate, has a regional final baseball game in Fairborn, Ohio.
- Meyer wanted to emphasize the importance of not just education in the classroom but outside of it, even for those guys that make it to the NFL. It's important for them to know that if they play football professionally for five years, they have 30-35 years of work after it's over: "Not everyone gets the Aaron Rodgers-type contract." Rodgers is one of the highest paid players in NFL history.
- Meyer said "it's over the top" with how much support he's had from Ohio State for this program. Corporate companies like JP Morgan Chase Bank are looking for Ohio State people, because it's "right around the corner."
- "If you're corporate America, who does not want to hire the 3.5 (GPA) student-athlete that is a football player?" - Urban Meyer
- Further on getting to see his son excel in high school sports, Meyer said he feels very fortunate that all three of his children have been very well coached in their sports careers: "Real emotional watching him. I get more damn nervous than he does." Also mentioned how a pitcher had a no-hitter going recently, and Nate made a backhand stop to save it.
- Meyer said Braxton Miller has been throwing, up to 35 yards right now. He added the quarterback is "in the best shape he's ever been in his life."
- Meyer also added that Miller's told him that he plans to return this fall.
- Has Ohio State discussed Miller playing a new position? "No. The objective is to get him healthy," Meyer said.
- Meyer said there will be a team meeting next week to make sure each player is connecting on LinkedIn and with follow-up emails to the people they meet Friday evening at the job fair.
