Urban Meyer coaches Ohio State practice only days after brain surgery

Ohio State football Coach Urban Meyer had surgery to drain a brain cyst last weekend but that didn’t keep him from supervising the team’s first spring practice Tuesday.

“I’ve had it for several years,” Meyer said, according to the Associated Press. “It’s a cyst, an arachnoid cyst. It surfaced a couple of times, once in ‘98 and once in ‘04 and a couple of other times. It’s just something you’ve got to manage.”

The coach had been experiencing headaches for several weeks.

Meyer suffered from health issues while coaching at Florida, prompting him to take a leave of absence before the 2010 season.

“I’m not going to be ignorant like I was before,” Meyer said. “If something happens, I’m going to get it fixed. I just put it off, put it off, put it off. It had reached that point.”

Meyer followed his doctors’ advice and didn’t scream or blow his whistle as much as usual at Ohio State’s first practice.

Ohio State lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten Conference championship game, which ended a winning streak at 24 games, and then lost to Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

The Buckeyes have five returning starters on offense, including senior quarterback Braxton Miller, who is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.

Ohio State opens against Navy in Baltimore on Aug. 30.

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