Meyer, Fowler clear air after practice

Florida football coach Urban Meyer and Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler spent approximately 30 minutes after practice in a private conversation designed to clear the air after a much publicized incident on Wednesday that heaped plenty of criticism on Meyer.

After Wednesday’s practice, Meyer approached Fowler and angrily defended wide receiver Deonte Thompson, whose comments about quarterback John Brantley and last year’s quarterback, Tim Tebow, were initially taken out of context although the Orlando Sentinel edited and amended the story later on. Meyer’s intent was to stand up for Thompson but in the exchange, he told Fowler that if he ever did that again he and the Orlando Sentinel would be “unwelcome” at Florida football practices.

That created a national media hailstorm against Meyer, who took Fowler aside after Saturday’s scrimmage and had a lengthy one-on-one conversation. Fowler indicated that Meyer apologized for the public confrontation. Asked if he accepted the apology, Folwer said, “I did, absolutely.”

Fowler said he understands where Meyer was coming from.

“I think Urban is a pro-player coach,” Fowler said. “I think he wanted to defend his player and I think that’s probably where the issues stands. If he thinks that one of his players gets wounded emotionally or physically or anyway he wants to support that.”

In explaining what went on during the conversation, Fowler said, “I tried to explain where I was coming from and tried to explain how I do my job. I think he understands that and I think it was constructive. I don’t want to get into all the details but he was definitely receptive to what I had to say.”

Fowler added that he was “glad that he [Meyer] approached me and talked about it constructively.”

Franz Beard
Back in January of 1969, the late, great Jack Hairston, then the sports editor of the Jacksonville Journal, called me on the phone one night and asked me if I wanted to work for him. I said yes. The entire interview took 30 seconds. It's my experience that whenever the interview lasts 30 seconds or less, I get the job. In the 48 years that I've been writing and getting paid for it, I've covered Super Bowls, World Series, NCAA basketball championships, BCS championship games, heavyweight title fights and what seems like thousands of college football, baseball and basketball games. I'm a columnist and special assignments editor for Gator Country once again, writing about the only team that ever mattered to me, the Florida Gators.