Urban Meyer has surgical procedure

ByAUSTIN WARD
March 4, 2014, 1:35 AM

— -- COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer underwent a medical procedure to address recent issues with headaches over the weekend, but the Ohio State coach was on the field when his team opened spring practice.

According to the school, Meyer had a small collection of fluid removed that was tied to a congenital arachnoid cyst that was first discovered when he was an assistant at Notre Dame in 1998 and had been recently been causing him headaches. 

"Not great, I feel good,'' he said after the three-hour practice. "I've had it for several years. 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 only sign Tuesday that anything was even wrong with Meyer was the hat he wore around the practice facility -- a white Ohio State cap that covered up an L-shaped scar on the left side of his head. Asked if he was limited in any way by the operation to alleviate recurring headaches, Meyer said there was one bit of advice from doctors.

"Just watch how long I scream," he said. "I'm not kidding you. And how long I blow the whistle. So I had (operations assistant Fernando Lovo) blowing the whistle today and it didn't sound very good. It didn't sound the same. So I'll be back after spring break. You'll hear it again."

Meyer has not publicly expressed any issues with his health since taking over the program in 2012, but he previously dealt with esophageal spasms while working at Florida in 2009 before ultimately stepping down after the 2010 season in an effort to take better care of himself and spend more time with his family.

He reiterated several times that he was feeling fine after the recent procedure, was rested after taking a couple days off and ready to get on the field to start practice.

"I think there is more urgency now," Meyer said of addressing any health concerns. "A few years ago I might have just said to heck with it, not even thought about it and moved on.

"But it's important to be smart about it."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.