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Before Urban Meyer accepted the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach job, he was rumored to be heading to the University of Texas. Meyer was on the Longhorns' radar after they parted ways with Tom Herman.
Luckily for Urban, he worked at FOX Sports with former Miami Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson. Meyer turned to Johnson for a bit of advice on which route he should take.
Here's how Jimmy Johnson helped Urban Meyer pick the NFL over college football.
How did Jimmy Johnson convince Urban Meyer to choose the NFL?
#1 - A new challenge for Meyer
When Jimmy Johnson was asked about his conversation with Urban Meyer during his appearance on the Dan LeBatard Show, he said:
"I don't think he saw the challenge that Jacksonville gives him and I think he wanted the challenge of professional football. He's accomplished everything he can accomplish in college football and he wants the challenge of professional football."
Meyer has won multiple conference and national championships in college football and has nothing left to achieve at that level.
Despite his enormous success in college football, Meyer will have to start as a rookie head coach in the NFL. It will be a fascinating challenge for a veteran head coach like Meyer to adjust and try to lead a perennially mediocre franchise to playoff success in the coming years.
#2 - Jimmy Johnson explained the stress that comes with recruiting
Some may say that recruiting is the most challenging aspect of being a college football coach. The number of miles and hours put into recruiting can become overwhelming. Johnson revealed he spoke to Meyer about recruiting, saying:
"We just talked about the strains of recruiting and we actually compared it to going into professional football as well. I didn't actually give him my feeling about what he should do. I just talked to him about the pros and cons of both positions."
#3 - Meyer could carve a path to Canton like Johnson
Jimmy Johnson is one of the few head coaches to have tasted success in college football and the NFL. He was the Dallas Cowboys head coach when they won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1992 and 1993. As the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes, he lost only nine games in five years.
It's easy to understand why Urban Meyer confided in Johnson. Jacksonville is a long way away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, but Urban Meyer could become immortalized in Canton with a bronze bust if he leads them to that goal.
It's clear to see how Johnson's career path and advice persuaded Meyer to choose a head coaching gig in the NFL over a return to college football. Whether that decision will prove to be wise or damage his reputation will only be evident in the coming seasons.
