Urban Meyer lashed out at a reporter on Wednesday for what the Florida football coach felt was an unfair article about Gators receiver Deonte Thompson. Thompson was quoted earlier in the week praising Florida quarterback John Brantley with words that many felt were critical of legendary ex-Gators QB Tim Tebow:
"You never know with Tim. You can bolt, you think he's running but he'll come up and pass it to you. You just have to be ready at all times. With Brantley, everything's with rhythm, time. You know what I mean, a real quarterback."
The comments were widely circulated, and they seemed to further reinforce a perception among some that for all his skill, Tebow's talent is not ready to translate to the NFL level. (Tebow, who will be part of the NFL Draft in April, recently unveiled a new throwing motion to help allay these concerns.)
Because many feel that Tebow's mechanics are not NFL-ready, his old coach has received criticism for not properly developing the Heisman winner for the pro environment. This may help explain Meyer's outburst against Jeremy Fowler, the Sentinel reporter who originally published the Deonte Thompson quote. The Gators coach threatened to block Fowler from covering the team, saying, "You do it one more time and the Orlando Sentinel's not welcome here ever again." Later, Meyer heatedly added, "You're a bad guy, man. You're a bad guy.... If that was my son, we'd be going at it right now."
Scroll down to see the exchange, and click here to read Fowler's reaction to the coach's rage.
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