SARASOTA — As head coach, Urban Meyer won two college football national titles at Florida and a third at Ohio State. In 17 seasons, he compiled a record of 187-32.
But now a Sarasota resident, Meyer has put down his coaching whistle for a tennis racket and a competitive game at the Payne Park Tennis Center.
Still, the 60-year-old remains in football as a college football analyst for Fox Sports, and in a manner that may mean more to Meyer than any championship ring.
Friday at Booker High School was the final day of his five-day program titled “The Urban Edge.” Similar to his “Real Life Wednesday” program when he coached at OSU, Meyer, in partnership with Chief Rex Troche and the Sarasota Police Department’s Community Relations Unit, wants “to equip the next generation to take ownership of their lives and be a positive force in their community.”
Said Meyer, “The mission is we equip them with the skill set necessary to own their own lives. Not have someone else control what you do. You pick your job, you become great at your job, you become great with your family, you take ownership of your life.”
At the heart of Meyer’s program is what he calls “the five pillars” — leadership, communication, fiscal responsibility, interpersonal skills, and career planning.
“The driving force is that 95 percent of Americans don’t like their jobs,” he said. “They get stuck. Worse than that, 70 million Americans count on the government. I believe, if you become an expert on the five pillars we’re teaching, you’ll never have problems with either of those. You won’t have to worry about anyone else.”
The Booker High football team learned about a pillar a day by guest speakers. Former Tornado and Duke University player Keith DuBose, a Sarasota lawyer, spoke to the players on communication and conflict resolution. At the end of the five-day program, a mentor will be assigned to three players, and the four-person group will meet once every two weeks. The bigger group will meet once a month.
“The big thing is,” said Meyer, who will serve as one of the mentors, “is to get them shadow opportunities. That means I’m going to find out what my three guys are interested in, and I have enough contacts in this town (to help them).
