Former Jaguar Josh Evans Reflects on How Urban Meyer Can Bring A New Culture To Jacksonville

Former Jacksonville Jaguars safety Josh Evans announced his official retirement from the NFL as a Jaguar on Monday. He spoke to Jaguar Report about the decision to stay close to Jacksonville and what his former college coach Urban Meyer can do to change the culture in Jacksonville.

Former Jacksonville Jaguar safety Josh Evans has known for a while this day was coming; his retirement from the National Football League. Evans was with the Jaguars until the 2016 season, when he was waived. He spent time that season with the Washington Football Team and then made a return to football in 2019 with the Orlando Apollo’s of the Alliance of American Football.

There was always the hope, the “maybe” that kept this decision at bay. But, the writing was on the wall.

“It's actually been on my mind for a minute, even before COVID…this was supposed to happen probably a year or two ago,” as Evans recently told Jaguar Report.

“I knew mentally I was kind of over it. You know when I was getting into other things and figuring out life outside of ball, you know, other different type of investments and I just felt like there was, it was time. I mean you always hold on to a little bit of hope, when things can possibly go.”

In the interim, Evans has opened a gym in Jacksonville, as well as a mobile club business. The New Jersey native who played college ball down the road with the Florida Gators, couldn’t find it in him to leave the First Coast, even after concluding his career with the Jaguars. He’d found a home in Jacksonville, and people he wanted to work with every day. It’s why it was so important for him to retire as a Jaguar.

“I think the opportunity, networking and relationships that are still here in Jacksonville has been, you know, amazing, you know, it helped me in so many ways to where I can call this like a second home. So it was hard to leave those relationships.

“You know the owner of the complex [where I have my gym], he went to University of Florida. So when I went there to get the paperwork done, he recognized me. It was like ‘oh you know I went to Florida.’Just those connections, makes it that much easier.”

Those relationships are also what will continue to tie him to the Jaguars organization. His first two years of college, Evans played for Head Coach Urban Meyer and Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong. Meyer is now, of course, the head coach with the Jaguars and Strong is the assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach.

A new father of a 16-month-old, and with COVID restrictions that are only just now being eased, Evans hasn’t been able to really visit with his old coaches now leading his NFL team. He’s stayed close with Ryan Stamper, a Jacksonville native and Florida Gators teammate who is now the Director of Player Assessment for the Jaguars.

“We always had a good line of communication, you know, pick each other's thoughts and talk about a lot of stuff so it's been cool now. I've been very happy for him and excited to see what Coach Meyer and Charlie Strong and those guys do in Jacksonville.”

Evans has a unique perspective. He’s seen what it takes to build a successful program. He’s seen Meyer and Strong do it at the highest level. He’s also seen the Jacksonville Jaguars in a time of hope and a time of despair…but rarely success. Can the two be married?

“For people who never play for them or been around them, clearly [Coach Meyer’s] college record stands for itself. But his desire to want to win—Urban Meyer is so competitive, so competitive. That was one of the things as a young guy, you really don't understand or comprehend what it takes.”

Urban Meyer walks running backs through a drill, a hands on approach that's a new strategy in Jacksonville. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

It’s also what Jacksonville has been missing. The Jags went 11-37 during Evans time with the club, finishing third in the AFC South each year.

“I think the toughest transition with Jacksonville has been just the inconsistency of what's going on,” pondered Evans. "You got players that come in for a year to lead and try to get certain players in free agency, who just don't come to Jacksonville. Even playing here is a tough market.

"There’s no one to really blame, there's not one person, it’s not a bad coach, a bad player. I just think, as a whole, you know things has just been difficult; when I was playing, we was a young team, trying to get ourselves figured out. And people can talk and say whatever about Gus Bradley, but he was a great, great person, I just think we were just immature. I couldn't really appreciate the culture he presented being a coach and being around a mature team like Seattle.”

The Jaguars have consistently been one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, and at times the youngest overall, as it was in 2020. It’s a by-product of stockpiling draft picks and being a revolving door for free agents who want to play at more established teams in bigger markets, as Evans mentioned. It causes a discourse between young guys and coaches who have spent decades in the NFL, as Gus Bradley had, as well as Doug Marrone to some extent.

One of the concerns when Meyer was hired was that his lack of NFL experience and college approach wouldn’t work with professional’s. While there can still be gaps to overcome with long-standing veterans, those with six or more years of experience only make up 22% of the Jaguars current roster.

“It's different energies when you get different coaches,” explained Evans. “Urban Meyer has been around youth, he's been around guys he understands what it takes to push people to their limit whereas some coaches might be more laid back or some coaches they might not be such a big, big deal to them so I think it's gonna be cool to see how it transitioned over from, you know, younger guys to grown men or young professionals.”

Speaking of pushing people to their limits, earlier this offseason, Meyer raised eyebrows when he publicly called out Pro-Bowl receiver DJ Chark, pushing him to improve his game. Chark has responded in kind, even arriving early to practices to go through drills with Meyer. Pushing people to their limit is what helps set Meyer apart as a coach according to Evans. It’s how he got so much out of his players to the point of three National Championships. And it’s what the Jaguars have been missing.

Urban Meyer has pushed DJ Chark publicly and privately this offseason. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

“He’s a coach that is going to push guys to the limit, to their limits, and also call guys out. Big time guys, not just a small fish, you know, you call out guys to be their best, and that's what I've always known him for. So it's exciting to see that they got somebody who's going to motivate them, push them to the edge and, you know, push to get the results that's needed here."

Winning hasn’t always been common for the Jaguars in recent years, save a 2017 playoff run. It’s why as Josh Evans retires, he looks back on his first win as one of his favorite Jaguars memories; a Week 7 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, 24-6 win.

“Coming from a team like the University of Florida, we were number two or three in the nation or something like that. We kind of left a pretty good legacy behind, coming from a winning organization. Coming to Jacksonville, I think we lost probably our first seven, eight games, but you get that first win and it's like wow, like you know, I'm like this is different…So you get—your first taste, so that was a great moment.”