GatorGalz is asking Gator fans to send up an abundance of prayer for Urban Meyer and his Family in light of Coach's decision to step down as Gator Head Football Coach. 

This development highlights the enormous stress this job produces.  Here are a couple of highlights from GatorGalz recent interview with Shelley Meyer - who as a pyschiatric nurse know a thing or two about the effects of stress - and thoughts she shared about the grind on husband Urban Meyer.

GG: How do you cope with defeat? What is the household like after a loss?
Shelley Meyer: It's really dark and depressed. I can honestly say no one takes losing harder than Urban. He takes it all on himself and there's nothing I can tell him to make it better. I've been doing this for so many years - trying to find the right thing to say, the right thing to do, and there's nothing except supporting him; sometimes just sitting with him because there's nothing I can do to make that hurt go away that he feels from losing a game.

The only that makes it better is to get back out there and win the next week. And that is the only thing that can make him feel any better. It's really sad that he takes it so hard, but he's just such a competitive, compassionate person. He always he wants to do right by the kids, and that means putting them in a position to win. And he just feels like he failed if we can't win.

GG: How has he handled recent criticism?
SM: He definitely wants things to work the right way. He's been working very late nights this week trying to figure out why we're not scoring like we have in the past. He has never lost sight of the fact that we're 7 and 0, and he's very, very proud of the team for continuing to win and fighting through the adversity,. But when things aren't running perfect, he's still going to work to make it run perfect. And while he knows perfection isn't possible, that isn't going to stop him from trying to make it work as best he can. He still in there working really hard.

I just wish the games were a little easier. I'm so thankful when we win but it's been so hard getting through these past couple of games because it's been so stressful. He just wants to do right by the kids and put them in a position to win, and that's what he and the staff are working so hard to do right now to keep getting them into position to win the game.

I think it's easy for the fans to lose sight of the fact that winning championships is hard. The expectations placed on this team from the beginning- - since January 9th - that's a lot of pressure to put on 18 to 22-year-olds and all these men that are responsible for these kids. And it's hard. The SEC -- are you kidding - this league is brutal.
As for the criticism - that junk goes on all the time. In the end I don't let what people are saying bother me. I try to get Urban not to let what people are saying to bother him He's gotten way better at it than he used to be.

Me - I don't care. These coaches and my husband are doing the right thing with these kids and teaching them to be successful young men and fathers. They're getting them to graduate and getting them to go to class. They're getting them to live their lives right. And, they're winning games, and winning championships and in the end, that's what matters. We know we're doing the right things for these kids. And you know what? Sometimes putting up 50 points per game isn't possible. So all that matters is that Urban is producing the way his contract says he needs to produce. As long as Jeremy Foley is pleased with what's going on, and we're successful not only in winning games but in a lot of things. Wining games is important but there are a lot of other things that go into a program.

GG: What's the hardest thing about being a coach's wife?
SM: The hardest thing is not being able to have control over the things I'd like to. I would love to be able to have Urban not worry about things so much. Like not worry about things going on on the field. Urban's a worrier anyway; he's a worker and he's a driven person. And he wants things to go right. I wish I could help him relax a little bit. But I don't have any control over that.

I can't control him. I can't control what the team's feeling; with the pressure of winning and repeating a championship.