JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo is suing the team, claiming that alleged abuse by then-head coach Urban Meyer affected his ability to do his job, the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud is reporting.
Lambo is seeking his $3.5 million 2021 salary, as well as damages for emotional distress, Stroud reports.
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The Jaguars released Lambo on Oct. 19, 2021.
On Dec. 15, 2021, Stroud first reported Lambo’s claims that Meyer kicked Lambo in the leg during a warm up for a preseason game in August.
Lambo told Stroud that Meyer came up to him and said, “Hey Dips--t, make your f--king kicks!” and then kicked him in the leg. Meyer denied the incident happened the way Lambo characterized it.
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“Josh’s characterization of me and this incident is completely inaccurate, and there are eyewitnesses to refute his account,” Meyer told the Times in December. “(General manager) Trent (Baalke) and I met with him on multiple occasions to encourage his performance, and this was never brought up. I was fully supportive of Josh during his time with the team and wish him nothing but the best.”
Hours after Stroud’s December report about the alleged kicking incident, the Jaguars fired Meyer.
The lawsuit claims that after the alleged incident, Lambo was unable to sleep and missed kicks from distances he previously made.
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Stroud’s report states that since Lambo reported the incident to the Jaguars’ legal counsel, his subsequent release violated Florida’s Private Sector Whistleblower Act, the lawsuit claims.
Lambo claims he reported the incident to the Jags via his agent, but was not given an opportunity to meet with the team’s legal counsel. The team says it responded immediately to the report from Lambo’s agent.
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