My Side to the Football Story..

Hi Everyone!

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My name is Nicki, I’m the oldest daughter of Urban and Shelley Meyer and thank God everyday for such loving parents to us and to each other. What a beautiful example to see everyday (I’m getting married in 4 months – so this is really encouraging and exciting for me and Corey – my amazing fiancé!).

I’d consider myself passionate, loving, empathetic, pretty stubborn, outgoing, protective, and just overall a very excited person about life. I love football (most days), coffee, cupcakes (icing only) and good wine . I run a Wellness Company in Ohio, AccelWELL, that brings me more joy than I ever thought a career could. I have my mom’s personality in social settings, but I am my dad to the core when it comes to my work. Not a bad pull of the personalities right?! Spending time with family never gets old to me, I could do it every single night if it was possible (I almost do!).

Missing Nate in this pic! February 2013
Missing Nate in this pic! February 2013

IMG_0004Football is all I’ve ever known. I was born in Colorado – moved to Notre Dame, followed by Bowling Green, Utah, and then to Florida. I left two years before my family did and played volleyball at Georgia Tech for 4 years – God Bless Atlanta, love that city – and then joined my family in Columbus last June and it’s been amazing.  Safe to say I’ve had my share of change in scenery! But wouldn’t change it for the world!

My sweet parents on an off day
My sweet parents on an off day

Growing up, I wanted to be a sportscaster, yes, like the next Erin Andrews – but I just knew I could never be objective. I would always be biased and couldn’t hide my true feelings or opinions (thanks Shelley Meyer for that personality trait!). Thankfully for this blog, I now can be honest and transparent and live a small version of that dream!

I’m sure I will be asked, so yes, I am the creator of the pink contract (my one and only claim to fame!) – never in a million years thought that would become what it did – I’m just thankful my dad took it so seriously! I will get into that story another time.

This idea recently was suggested by a good friend and I jumped all over it because I just want to get my perspective out there. I watch the same exact games, hear the same press conferences, watch the same news channels as you, but there is a part of the story the media doesn’t report on and that you don’t get to know about us, and I wish you could, because it doesn’t get enough credit. Obviously I can’t share EVERYTHING, but the things that I know you would enjoy, you will find on here. I have a really incredible family – each one brings a different personality to the table and I can’t wait for you to get to know us for real. Some stuff out there is really good, even accurate. Some we read and laugh wondering where they came up with it and how it’s legally posted. This is raw, real, honest and it will more than likely be entertaining!

*Disclaimer – I did not go to school for journalism, nor was it ever a strength of mine, so please read forgivingly and ignore any mistakes.

Also – be prepared for a wide range of emotions – football has the highest highs and the lowest lows! It’s definitely my goal to share both sides with you – so read with an open mind!

Lastly – please email <allaboutperspectiveblog@gmail.com> with any specific interests and questions I can answer or talk about – haters, go ahead and send the hate mail, I’m really glad social media has given you a chance to abuse people you don’t know – but those of you who are positive, we see you and hear you and are very thankful for you!!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy my point of view on this crazy life!

Nicki

  

My dad and I last year after the National Championship
My Dad and I last year after the National Championship – January 2015, Dallas, TX

49 thoughts on “My Side to the Football Story..”

  1. This is awesome! I love it. My family and I live in Gainesville, my son Clay played baseball with Nate. Loved reading this! I met you and your sister once (on separate occasions) when either picking up or dropping off one of the boys. Had the opportunity to come and stay at your parents in late 2013 for a game. Living here in Gainesville was so hard after your mom and dad moved, so much hatred. It’s crazy how people can be. My daughter went to school with Jackson Muschamp and he really had to put up with a lot of hate too; just kills me to see this towards the kids especially… I love reading about you, your sister and of course Nate. Your family will always be special to us and we absolutely wish you the very best!
    Good luck in this new journey! 😉

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  4. I graduated from tOSU w/ a degree in Journalism and you’re doing just fine. Like your English teacher told you in high school, write about what you know and the rest will follow. Go Bucks!

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  6. What a great idea! And please ignore the haters, the obsessive wacko’s and know that all of us crazy Buckeye fans are not like that! I look forward to reading your posts!

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  8. My dad was the varsity head coach of my high school’s football team for over 30 years. In fact, he coached Ed Warinner in high school. Although the levels are entirely different (college vs. high school), being a coaches daughter/family, we definitely feel all the highs and all the lows. And although the job came with loads of stress, time away from home, for sale signs in our front yard, our house being egged, etc. I would never change those years for the world. I’m pretty sure I took my first steps on that football field, spent many an evening playing in the locker room while my dad watched films. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!!!! I have been an Ohio State fan my whole life, but have always been a fan of one of the best coaches in college football, Urban Meyer. I look forward to reading more!!!!

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  9. It’s a long standing tradition to go to Ohio State University. Besides being born in Gainesville, FL,growing up in keystone, I will always be a Buckeye! No matter how far away, we will be a buckeye! I just had the biggest buckeye sticker put on my car. Since we are always in Gainesville, I make sure we drive past the University .

    We do not support anyone who makes fun of health of anybody. We are totally disgusted about the post digging on the heart attack. It’s one thing to talk smack about a team, but this was low.

    Buckeyes are awesome. The ones who go that low to talk ill about a team should be fined and censored/ blocked.

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  10. Always good to hear a family members side, as you say we know Coach but really don’t know Mr Meyer the family man. I admire you for doing this & be as honest as you feel. I am a Buckeye in & out, never went to college, but does that even matter. I am a huge football fan & am always excited when it starts & sad when it ends. I live in a village called Strasburg sometime ask your Dad’s Asst, Coaches & find out which one is from our little Burg, we are so proud of him. I look forward to reading more of your insight. I am a Wife, Mother & grandmother & my son-in-law graduated from Ohio State as a Chemical Engineer & a true Buckeye who now lives in Texas, but forever a Buckeye.

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    1. Who is your son-in-law? My father taught ChemEng at OSU for many years. He taught Summer Lab so every ChemEng had to take one of his classes.

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  13. I love the picture of your family at Captain Tony’s in Key West holding the stool with your dad’s name on it. My Ohio license plates hang in Captain Tony’s (KEEWEST and MILE O KW) and the Ohio State helmet signed by your dad was placed just below them. Pretty freaking awesome for this Ohio State fan who loves Captain Tony’s.

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  14. Thanks for doing this! As an OSU alum and Urban Meyer fan, it seems interesting. But as the daughter of someone who has coached high school football for more than 50 years, I am excited for myself and others to be able to see your heart–the joys and the heartaches!

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  17. This is great!! I’m glad ur dad Urban came back home to his job that he loves so much. I see the family on TV, social media and it’s a great tight family. When ur talk family Urban has is job as a family also. I’m a buckeye since I was born and always will be, Go Buckeyes!! Good Luck with ur new life coming up and keep up the great job on “My Life” of the Myers

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  18. I LOVE Ohio State Football but know that family comes first! I met your dad this summer at Urban for Autism in Perrysburg. Our neighbor, Brent, spoke about life with their two beautiful autistic boys. Your dad was a gracious and motivated speaker! He helped raise a large amount of money for Autism. It was great to see ! I live and breathe Ohio State Football (they call me the” little nut”) and I am looking forward to reading more of your blog!

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  19. When Jim Tressel left, I said to my St. Xavier High School family that maybe Urban Meyer could come back now? They all laughed, but I remembered hearing somewhere that he could possibly come back to coaching for only two teams, Notre Dame or Ohio State. So grateful, and have followed him since St. X days. This is a wonderful tribute to your family.

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  20. Your first blog post has me hooked! Congrats on all of your successes so far and we look forward to following you going forward. Best wishes on your upcoming wedding!

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  23. I love your blog and reading your view!! I grew up in Bowling Green and my dad was actually the sports information director when your dad coached there. I have lived and breathed sports growing up and have always found so many things in common with you (sports dads, volleyball players, brunettes). Keep up the blogging I started myself a few years ago and love this outlet!! Can’t wait to read more posts 🙂

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  24. I absolutely love this!! I too had an influential Father growing up and it’s the reason I love Buckeye football so much! I moved from Lima, Ohio to Columbus and lived there for 7 years. There is nothing quite like Columbus, Ohio and unless you have lived there you can’t really understand. Keep blogging girl I’m hooked!

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  25. So far so good! I’m excited to read what’s next!! I’ve seen you all on the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer and love the relaxed happy smiles your family shares while cruising!! I’ll never forget the first year your parents came on the ship to surprise us! What a way to win over 2,500 plus fans! We really loved and still love having you all sail with us to beat cancer!

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  26. You’re off to a great start, Nicki! As an Ohio State grad and a huge Buckeye football fan, I am looking forward to hearing things from your family perspective. Good luck, and Go Bucks!

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  28. Hello, Nicki. At 54-years-old and 31 years removed from my final year at Ohio State, I have become a football fan of sorts. While spending time in the evenings with my mother, who was diagnosed with age-related cognitive decline or dementia three years ago, I have had the distinct pleasure of getting to know something about Ohio State football, your family and your roles in serving one of our nation’s great states and land grant universities. I was inspired to learn that your dad is an educator at heart, and that he never takes the fans and supporters of Ohio State football for granted. It’s been a joy to watch him leave the stadium shaking hands and “high-fiving” everyone he can reach on the way.

    On a personal note, I heard your dad mention that he played ball in Pulaski, Virginia. My late Uncle George, a Presbyterian minister, married a strikingly beautiful and sweet girl from there named Minta Hopkins Critzer. Sadly, she died of cancer, yet a newlywed. My 1st cousin Sarah, just a little over a year old when her mother died, went on to earn degrees at the Univ. of Virginia and Emory. I look forward to telling her about your parents’ work in raising funds for cancer research and treatment. On behalf of my family, I sincerely thank you all and the Bruce family for all you do.

    Congratulations on your engagement, upcoming marriage and new blog. You’ve started well.

    Sincerely,

    Sam Ogilvie, Jr.

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    1. P.S. Nicki, as I read your blog, I thought about the combination of your personal experience, attributes and training and your career choice. Despite that, I failed to congratulate you on your work and start in a critically important industry, wellness. Best wishes in your quest to help people reach their goals.

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  30. This is awesome!!! Definitely looking forward to reading this over the course of the season. I am very fortunate to be able to say I’ve gotten the chance to get to know your family a little over the years on the cruise!! You guys rock!! Never ever a dull moment! I’d personally like to read about every single embarrassing thing about “Spinner Shellz” and what you guys argue about most often. Hahaha!!!! I guess you can say I’m a sucker for drama!!!

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  32. This is a great idea! Thank you for doing it! You already know you will get haters but just ignore them. I met your Dad at a Ronald McDonald Fundraiser last year. We showed a video about my son’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Your Dad was very nice to my son. He absolutely made my daughters day when he asked her if she was “the pretty girl in the video with Mark?” She still talks about it! Anyway – I love your family’s attitude and energy. I hope to take one of your Mom’s SPIN classes someday! Go Bucks!

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  33. Refreshing! Thank you for confirming the type of family we all see you to be. I have the utmost respect for raw honesty. Your father strikes me as a man who has his life priorities where they should be, family first. I’m a lifelong Buckeye fan and raising my kids as such, but when it comes down to it, it is just a game, relative to family. Im glad to here you confirm my beleif. Go Bucks!!

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  34. The Meyer family is definitely “what you see is what you get.” You will not find a more loyal and authentic family anywhere! I consider myself lucky that I got to know the family back in Notre Dame days. I like to think that my “monkey brain” soup contributed in a small part to your future success! Very happy for you and your family Nicki. Xoxo Jen

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  36. This is SO special, that you would do this, for us…and you.
    I am always dismayed that people forget so quickly, and suddenly “become” so “knowledgable”. I never see a critics name on a HOF, or Coach of the Year list.
    Glad your Dad, and family are in Columbus.
    ThankYou for all you give. R

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  37. My husband, a video coordinator at Tulsa, sent me your link this morning. We have three young daughters so I can’t wait to read your perspective! I blog too and love being able to document our journey!

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  40. Nicki – I’ve worked in media my entire life, ignore the people who want to get picky over grammer and the AP style guide. There is a reason why most of them are sniping about other people’s content and not creating their own. Ask your pops – it’s just like the people who sit around and watch football on TV and think they know coaching better than guys on the sidelines…just because they watch a lot of football.

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  43. I think this blog is so important and such an awesome read for everybody, as a Buckeye myself and a Mountaineer girlfriend. As a football girlfriend (going on five years now), I have also have experienced football from a different angle and seen many behind the scene things like college recruiting, family days, and the ups and downs that go along with being on such a large stage. Its truly amazing how different things are from the outside compared to the inside and by you writing about your father, who I personally met through the recruiting process, from a family perspective you’re helping so many gain a new perspective and hopefully level of respect for Urban the coach, and Urban the father. Personally, I think the contrast between the football stage we see on tv and behind the scenes is so grand, that I too was thinking about starting a blog(or possibly a book, but that’s a bit presumptuous) from the side of a longtime girlfriend, and hopefully wife soon, since it is so different than media portrays it. Keep on doing you, I cant wait to continue to read your posts, and Go Bucks!

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  44. Dear Nicki, I wonder if you ever got to meet you Grandmother Gisele (Gigi). She was a wonderful lady and cook. I was lucky enough to take cooking lessons from her in Ashtabula in the 1970’s. I think your Dad was about 6 years old. Jane Holden

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  45. Nicki,
    Your blog is a great ideea! The excitement your Dad and family have brought to Ohio is wonderful! My daughter, son and I played HS sports in the SVC where your Mom played. My wife is grew up near where your Mom is from. We enjoy how your family is involved with the Buckeyes! Keep up the good work!

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