Since taking the job as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Urban Meyer talked, both publicly and privately, about how he knew he was now working in the NFL, not in the fiefdoms of Ohio State or Florida.
His players are now adults, not college kids. They have obligations, families, agents, contracts and experience. They also often have the confidence and power to voice their concerns and opinions. Teams have to be something of a partnership these days, not merely a dictatorship. And it's not just a comparison between college and pro. It’s 2021 versus 2015 or 2009 or whenever.