An Urban Meyer Kick Could Cost The Jacksonville Jaguars Millions

// sports football moneyAll things considered, Josh Lambo had a better-than-average career in the National Football League. After going undrafted in 2015, Lambo caught on with the San Diego Chargers before spending multiple years as the kicker for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then, in October 2021, he was released by the Jaguars.

It was what Lambo then said publicly that caught many people’s attention. In December 2021, Lambo claimed that his head coach, Urban Meyer, kicked him in the leg. That, plus the alleged activities of Meyer and the Jaguars organization thereafter, is now the subject of a lawsuit pending in Duval County, Florida.

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Lambo is suing the Jacksonville Jaguars on a single cause of action. He says that the franchise violated Florida’s Private Sector Whistleblower’s Act, which prohibits an employer from taking any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because the employee has:

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(1) Disclosed, or threatened to disclose, to any appropriate governmental agency, under oath, in writing, an activity, policy, or practice of the employer that is in violation of a law, rule, or regulation. However, this subsection does not apply unless the employee has, in writing, brought the activity, policy, or practice to the attention of a supervisor or the employer and has afforded the employer a reasonable opportunity to correct the activity, policy, or practice; (2) Provided information to, or testified before, any appropriate governmental agency, person, or entity conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into an alleged violation of a law, rule, or regulation by the employer; or (3) Objected to, or refused to participate in, any activity, policy, or practice of the employer which is in violation of a law, rule, or regulation.

Lambo is specifically claiming a violation of the third prong. He claims that, after Meyer kicked him and used profanity toward him, Lambo told him to never kick him again, to which Meyer responded that he was the head ball coach and would kick him whenever he wanted. Profanity was extracted from what was the actual dialogue.

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Lambo says that the physical striking of him by Meyer constitutes a crime and that the Jaguars’ failure to initiate an investigation, intervene in the working conditions, or inform the NFL or the NFL Players’ Association of the allegations after Lambo made the team aware of the situation, caused him harm from which he deserves relief. In fact, according to Lambo, Meyer ramped up his aggressiveness after Lambo informed members of the organization of the conduct Meyer had displayed and told Lambo that he would be cut from the team if he ever challenged his authority in the future.

Lambo takes the position that Meyer’s hostility resulted in Lambo missing kicks, but that his failure to make field goals did not cause any losses for the Jaguars. Yet, Lambo was cut by the Jaguars and he now wants to receive monetary damages in a sum that is, at a minimum, in the form of back pay that he otherwise would have received had his contract not been terminated prior to its contemplated natural expiration.

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Darren Heitner is the founder of Heitner Legal. He is the author of How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, published by the American Bar Association, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @DarrenHeitner.

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Darren Heitner, Football, Jacksonville Jaguars, Sports, Urban Meyer


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Originally posted on: https://abovethelaw.com/2022/05/an-urban-meyer-kick-could-cost-the-jacksonville-jaguars-millions/