DeMaurice Smith responds publicly to Jon Gruden email, challenges NFL

DeMaurice Smith shared on Twitter his belief that Jon Gruden’s email is proof that football needs to be better in regards to equality and respect. The executive director of the NFLPA commented that Gruden has reached out to him, but that Smith believes he is not the only person who makes comments like those in his email.

DeMaurice Smith on Jon Gruden’s email

In a chain of posts Smith shared via Twitter on Monday, Smith outlined what he felt the Gruden’s email symbolized and how he believes it is about more than just the words Gruden used.

“The email from Jon Gruden – and some of the reaction to it – confirms that the fight against racism, racist tropes and intolerance is not over,” Smith explained on Twitter. “This is not about an email as much as it is about a pervasive belief by some that people who look like me can be treated as less.

“The email has also revealed why the comments by some with powerful platforms to explain this away are insidious and hypocritical. It is as if there is a need to protect football above the values of equality, inclusion and respect.

“The powerful in our business have to embrace that football itself has to be better, as opposed to making excuses to maintain the status quo.

“I appreciate that he reached out to me and I told him that we will connect soon, but make no mistake, the news is not about what is said in our private conversation, but what else is said by people who never thought they would be exposed and how they are going to be held to accountable.”

The email in question was sent by Gruden in 2011, prompting an investigation by the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin tires,” Gruden wrote in the email, per Andrew Beaton of The Wall Street Journal.

NFL to aid Raiders with investigation

The NFL is aiding the Las Vegas Raiders’ investigation into Jon Gruden’s emails after a story released by the Wall Street Journal described an email sent by Gruden back in July of 2011 to have contained the use of a racist trope directed at NFL players of association executive director DeMaurice Smith.

“The NFL sent the Raiders additional Jon Gruden emails to review on top of the negative one that surfaced last week and, per sources around the league,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said.” The NFL is actively monitoring the situation and waiting to see how the team will handle the matter.”

Gruden sent the email during a lockout by the players over the 2011 summer. He sent the email after the NFLPA chose not to vote on a collective bargaining agreement ratified by the league’s owners. At the time of the email, Gruden was a color commentator for ESPN. During that time he was one of the analysts for the network’s Monday Night Football telecast.

On3’s Tim Verghese contributed to this article.