Kicker Josh Lambo seeks more than $3 million in damages from the Jacksonville Jaguars over allegations of “extreme emotional and mental distress” inflicted on him by former head coach Urban Meyer.
The lawsuit filed in a Duval County, Florida, court against the Jaguars on Tuesday alleges the team violated a Florida whistleblower law for retaliating against Rambo after his agent notified the club that Meyer kicked him during an August practice.
Meyer was fired for cause in December after the Tampa Bay Times reported details of the alleged incident. The newspaper was also the first outlet to report the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges Meyer kicked him in the leg while he was in a lunge position during practice.
“Hey [expletive], make your [expletive] kicks!” Meyer allegedly shouted.
Lambo, according to the lawsuit, responded, “Don’t you ever [expletive] kick me again!”
“I’m the head ball coach,” Meyer answered per the civil complaint. “I’ll kick you whenever the [expletive] I want.”
Meyer called the allegations “completely inaccurate” after the initial report before he was dismissed by the Jags. Meyer is in talks to rejoin Fox Sports as a college football analyst, Front Office Sports reported earlier this month.
Lambo claims that Meyer “proceeded to verbally harass” him regularly and used “intimidation tactics to distract” him while he practiced his kicks. The alleged harassment impacted Lambo’s “ability to sleep, practice, and perform his job.”
A message left with the Jaguars by FOS on Wednesday was not immediately returned. The Jaguars were served with the lawsuit on Wednesday, according to court records.
Lambo played three games for the Jags during the 2021 season before he was released on Oct. 19, which the lawsuit claims was due to Lambo’s objections to Meyer’s “unlawful conduct.” Lambo, 31, seeks to recoup the unpaid portion of his $3.5 million salary “with interest, compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the discrimination, including … emotional distress and reputational harm,” according to the lawsuit.
