Urban Meyer continues to sink himself deeper following his controversial falling out with the Jacksonville Jaguars in a scathing Monday, March 21 article released by The Athletic. But now, Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams have entered the picture.
Among the details of verbally abusing players, belittling scouts and staff members and reports of being overbearing inside the Jaguars’ facility, there’s this embarrassing tidbit in the story written by Jayson Jenks and Mike Sando that involves the since fired Meyer: Him not knowing who certain NFL stars were before his team took the field against them.
And that includes the multiple NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner on the Rams.
What Meyer Said
According to a source who spoke to Jenks and Sando, Meyer asked the following question to one staffer:
“Who’s this 99 guy on the Rams? I’m hearing he might be a problem for us.”
He asked that about a defender with the following on his resume before that December 5 contest played at SoFi Stadium: Seven Pro Bowl appearances, six All-Pro nods, an NFC championship ring and the winner of three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Well, if this play was any indication, perhaps Meyer finally figured out who 99 was:
Furthermore, Donald went on to deliver the following final tally: Five tackles, two quarterback hits, one solo stop and one sack. And Meyer’s Jaguars were dismantled 37-7 — which additionally ended a three-game losing skid for the Rams.
And Donald and the Rams only lost once the rest of the way — the season finale versus the San Francisco 49ers. But the new Super Bowl champion Donald is now basking in “football heaven” as Sports Illustrated mentioned.
Aaron Donald thought he was speaking to an audience of one when he mentioned the possibility of retirement. The story hung over a whirlwind celebration of Super Bowl LVI.
Donald reveals to @GregBishopSI why he’s considering walking away, and much more t.co/5A3vByLZf6
Donald, though, wasn’t the only NFL star who Meyer was unaware of per the story.
Meyer was unfamiliar with Seattle Seahawks safety and multiple Pro Bowler Jamal Adams and wasn’t aware of San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Deebo Samuel — both ironically played college football in a place Meyer knows from his college coaching days: The Southeastern Conference (SEC) with Adams starring at LSU and Samuel putting together his resume at South Carolina (which plays in the same SEC division as Meyer’s former college team Florida).
The three-time Pro Bowler Adams collected 10 tackles including five solo stops in the Seahawks’ 31-7 romp of Meyer’s Jaguars. Samuel averaged 9.8 yards per carry and scored once during the 49ers’ 30-10 trouncing of Jacksonville.
Did Retired Ram Revealed Donald’s 2022 Plans?
There’s still been much wonder on what Donald is planning to do for 2022.
His status for the upcoming season was in question after NBC Sports’ Rodney Harrison revealed that Donald could retire after Super Bowl 56. The Rams have already lost Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Whitworth to retirement, which he announced on Tuesday, March 15.
But what about “A.D?” Is he joining Whitworth in the post-NFL life?
“Big Whit” answered that in front of the TMZ cameras that was released on Tuesday morning.
“He’ll be back on that field dominating again,” Whitworth said while appearing to be leaving a restaurant. “That’s what I know he knows how to do well and I’m sure he’s going to be doing it again.”
The video can be seen below.
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Fired Head Coach Didn’t Know Who the Rams’ Aaron Donald Was: Report