Florida football coach Urban Meyer understands that this is a time of year when players are susceptible to off-field problems.
With little contact with his team due to NCAA rules, Meyer can’t monitor his players as closely as he’d like.
“It’s that time of year,” Meyer said before a speaking engagement with the Southwest Florida Gator Club. “You trust your team and I do, but there are 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-year-old men on a college campus. That’s a tough job.”
Walk-on Florida running back Marquis Hannah became the fifth Florida player arrested in the span of a year when he allegedly punched a man in the face while trying to get into the victim’s apartment last month. Hannah was charged with second-degree felony unarmed burglary in an incident that occurred less than a week after the spring game.
Overall, 23 Florida football players have been arrested during Meyer’s four plus-year tenure. Meyer said he’s brought in several speakers from the community in an effort to prevent players from getting into troublesome situations over the summer. He’s also leaning heavily on strength coach Mickey Marotti, who runs UF’s spring and summer conditioning program.
