Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, as well as players and school administrators, are vehemently denying ex-wide receivers coach Zach Smith used a racial slur during a confrontation with a former player last fall.
The denials come in wake of a report from Brett McMurphy of WatchStadium.com in which LeBron Grimes, the father of former Ohio State wide receiver Trevon Grimes, claimed his son told him that Smith used the "n-word" during a heated confrontation last fall. Grimes, a former 4-star prospect and native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., transferred to Florida after playing two games for the Buckeyes in 2017.
"Trevon told his father he got into an altercation with Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith at practice," McMurphy reported. "LeBron Grimes said his son told him that 'Zach got up in his face and called him a ‘bitch ass n – – – – -’ and said, ‘I should have never recruited you.’ And then Trevon said something to Zach about him messing around with college girls.'"
Although Ohio State admitted to an "interaction" between Smith and Grimes taking, all parties involved -- including Trevon Grimes, himself -- have denied the then-Buckeyes receivers coach used a racial slur. Even Ohio State president Michael Drake weighed in on the matter, issuing a statement backing Meyer and the culture surrounding his program.
"The Ohio State University unequivocally and vehemently disputes the unfounded allegations by Brett McMurphy," Drake wrote. Any allegations of racism are outrageous and false. The university told McMurphy that we have found no evidence to support these allegations. Reporting in this manner is irresponsible, inflammatory and a severe invasion of privacy of a student athlete and his family as well as a baseless personal attack on Coach Meyer. It is regrettable that McMurphy and his employer would use such poor judgment in running this inaccurate story."
Ohio State director of athletics Gene Smith issued a similar statement via a school spokesperson.
"The accusations made today by Brett McMurphy regarding our coach and the reasons for the transfer of Trevon Grimes are unequivocally false," he said. "Urban Meyer embraces diversity and would absolutely never support an environment of racism. It simply isn’t tolerated here. And as an African-American, football player and collegiate administrator, I personally can say that our coaches, student-athletes and support staff know there is no place for any such behavior within our programs, at The Ohio State University or anywhere."
Several players -- including current Ohio State wide receivers Johnnie Dixon, Parris Campbell and Austin Mack -- also took to Twitter to deny Smith's used a racial slur. Asked on the weekly Big Ten coaches teleconference about McMurphy's report, Meyer stated that he and his players were "irate" over the accusations and that the school was considering its legal options.
"They came to see me. They were extremely upset that that kind of accusation would be made about something that is absolutely not tolerated, and quite honestly the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard being involved in college athletics," Meyer said. “Then to see a reporter go after a player and his mother like that. To call out his mother and list some of the things that has happened in her past, I just don’t quite understand what that’s all about."
Meyer's comments are in reference to the portion of McMurphy's report which delves into the personal and legal problems of both of Grimes' parents.
In 1994, Grimes' father, LeBron Grimes, was arrested for possession and selling cocaine and has since been accused of domestic violence on multiple occasions. Meanwhile, Leah Grimes, Trevon's mother, had her nursing licenses revoked and suspended in Washington and Indiana for stealing from an elderly couple and was charged with “dishonorable and unethical conduct, moral turpitude, misrepresentation and fraud,” according to the Washington Department of Health, per McMurphy.
According to an NCAA case summary, Grimes was granted permission to play immediately following his transfer to Florida after Leah Grimes was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. LeBron Grimes, however, alleges that the transfer came as the result of the altercation with Smith.
In 9 games at Florida this season, Grimes has tallied 17 catches for 194 yards and a touchdown.
In July, Ohio State fired Smith after multiple accusations of domestic violence made by his ex-wife were made public. An investigation into the school's handling of the accusations resulted in a three-game suspension for Meyer and 17-day suspension for Gene Smith.
Ranked 10th in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, Ohio State will face Maryland at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
