WATCH: Former NFL coach Jon Gruden unboxes Michigan State gear, displays vast knowledge of Spartan athletics
The Gruden name has populated NFL circles for years now, but the most successful member of the long-time football family is Jon Gruden, who led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl XXXVII victory over the Oakland Raiders in 2003. At the time, the 39-year-old Gruden was the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl.
Gruden filled a variety of coaching roles in the 20-plus years following his most famous win, but has since become a media personality for Barstool Sports. He hosts a podcast called Gruden Loves Football and uses his head coaching experience to evaluate players, specifically quarterbacks.
Gruden, 61, also hosts a popular series of videos in which he opens boxes of gear from various college football programs. On Friday, Gruden posted a video to Twitter of him opening one such package from Michigan State.
According to Gruden, former Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins helped orchestrate the delivery. Cousins played under Gruden’s younger brother, Jay, for four seasons with the Washington Redskins.
“Kirk Cousins said he was going to get us a box from Michigan State, and Kirk Cousins was right,” Gruden said to open the video. “I love Michigan State. You know, Duffy Daugherty used to coach at Michigan State, and they had Bubba Smith. They had great players. And then you think about the history of coaching. George Perles comes into Michigan State, Nick Saban, Denny Stolz, and all of a sudden Mark Dantonio comes in and starts winning 10 games every year with guys like Kirk Cousins and Le’Veon Bell.”
Gruden unboxed a Michigan State football helmet, shirts, sweatpants, shoes and even a Spartan-themed putter head, among other items, during the nearly seven minute-long video. As Gruden showed off his new gear, he referenced several former Spartan athletes and coaches, and spoke about his relationship with a few of them.
“When I was in Green Bay in 1992, my left tackle (was) Tony Mandarich, man,” Gruden said. “He was the freakin’ best. He was freakin’ awesome at Michigan State. They had Mandarich and Flozell Adams, Jack Conklin of the Cleveland Browns. They produce linemen because of their coaching, because of their will.”
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Gruden also praised a member of Michigan State’s long lineage of kickers.
“You know who one of the greatest field goal kickers was in the history of football? A left-footed friend of mine named Morten Andersen,” Gruden said. “As soon as they crossed of the 50-yard line, it was like, ‘Oh God, they’re in field goal range.'”
Gruden also made sure to reference a few Michigan State basketball legends, such as Magic Johnson, Greg Kelser, Draymond Green, Scott Skiles and Jason Richardson.
“When I think of Michigan State, I think of a lot of great athletes,” Gruden said. “When I was a ball boy at Indiana for the Hoosier basketball team, we were kicking everybody’s a–, until one guy walked into East Lansing. He wore No. 33 and he had a beautiful smile. He used to piss me off. His name was Magic Johnson. Back then, they called him Earvin.”
Gruden spoke highly of Spartan basketball coaches Tom Izzo and Jud Heathcote, too. Gruden said Heathcote’s passion and occasionally fiery conversations with referees inspired his own coaching style.
By the end of the video, Gruden thanked Cousins, Izzo, Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith and the Spartan student equipment managers, all of whom played a part in delivering him the box of Michigan State-themed gear.
“We love you Kirk Cousins, we love you Michigan State,” Gruden said. “Let’s go get a Big Ten title.”
