Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, who is on paid administrative leave pending into an investigation of what he knew about domestic violence allegations against a now-fired assistant, issued his first extensive comments on Friday in a tweet . Here are excerpts:
Over the past several days I have been portrayed as being indifferent to domestic violence and as someone who did not take appropriate action when warranted.
While over three decades of coaching I have learned to ignore how others define me, I do feel it necessary to share the truth with the Buckeyes family.
Here is the truth: While at the University of Florida and now at the Ohio State University I have always followed proper reporting protocols and procedures when I have learned of an incident involving a student-athlete, coach or member of our staff by elevating the issues to the proper channels. And I did so regarding the Zach Smith incident in 2015. I take that responsibility very seriously and any suggestion to the contrary is simply false.
The power of what I say and how I say it, especially regarding sensitive and serious domestic issues, has never been more evident than now. My words, whether in a reply to a reporter’s question or in addressing a personnel issue, must be clear, compassionate and most of all, completely accurate.
Unfortunately at Big Ten Media Days on July 24th, I failed on many of these fronts. My intention was not to say anything inaccurate or misleading. however, I was not adequately prepared to discuss these sensitive personnel issues with the media, and I apologize for the way I handled those questions.
I understand there are more questions to be answered and I look forward to doing just that with the independent investigators retained by the university and I will cooperate fully with them. …
Please know that the truth is the ultimate power and I am confident that I took appropriate action. As stated above, I deeply regret if I have failed in my words.
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