The last two decades haven’t been kind to the Las Vegas Raiders. A controversial departure from Oakland, constant misses in the NFL draft, and zero postseason success have turned the once highly respected franchise into a league-wide laughing stock. However, the 2021 season remains the most prominent stain in the organization’s history books. A month after an intoxicated Henry Ruggs rear-ended and killed Tina Tintor and her dog in a high-speed collision, head coach Jon Gruden became an outcast after racist, homophobic, and misogynistic emails between him and then-Washington Commanders general manager Bruce Allen surfaced.
Gruden is again being put on blast for more racist comments emerging on Friday, with Robert Holland, father of Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland, sharing a ludicrous back-and-forth between his son and Gruden during the draft process in 2021.
Ex-Las Vegas Raiders HC Jon Gruden: Makes Tone Deaf Comment to Jevon Holland
![TRENDING: Former Las Vegas Raiders HC Jon Gruden Once Asked High-End Draft Prospect Jevon Holland The Most Tone Deaf of Questions - REPORT - 2024 Offseason 1 NFL](https://gridironheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/USATSI_21497543-scaled.jpg)
It’s commonplace for high-end draft prospects to field numerous calls and questions as part of the NFL’s in-depth draft process. Oregon defensive back Jevon Holland was no exception, largely considered the top safety heading into the 2021 NFL draft after a standout college career. Holland, known for his playmaking ability and knack for flying to the football, also became an outspoken activist for change in his community while with the Oregon Ducks. Holland’s off-the-field contributions led one NFL head coach, then-Las Vegas Raiders bench boss Jon Gruden, to ask the six-foot-one safety one of those most ridiculous questions in draft prep history.
Appearing on the @DolphinsTalk podcast, Robert Holland says that, prior to the 2021 draft, former Raiders coach Jon Gruden asked S Jevon Holland if he was "going to change [his] name to Malcolm X" once he got to the NFL. https://t.co/wPp0qAwn5N
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 14, 2024
On the most recent episode of DolphinsTalk.com, host Marisa Marino spoke to Jevon Holland’s father, Robert Holland, resulting in the elder Holland sharing a horror story about an exchange between his son and Gruden. Holland expressed that his son entered the 2021 NFL draft process with a “certain Colin Kaepernick tag,” leading Gruden to ask Jevon a boneheaded question.
“That day when the Raiders called, Jon Gruden asked Jevon, ‘Hey, are you going to change your name to Malcolm X when you get into the league,'” said the older Holland. He said his son replied by saying, “Listen, I use my platform to speak for those people who can’t speak, and I’m only speaking for good, and if I’m not the kind of guy who you perceive is speaking for good or doing something wrong maybe I shouldn’t be part of your organization,” before hanging up on Gruden.
The Raiders ended up selecting Alabama offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood as the 17th overall selection, with Holland slipping to the Miami Dolphins in the second round. After a brutal year, Leatherwood lasted just one season in Las Vegas, while Holland has been a three-year star with Miami. Gruden’s comments to Holland are not the first time Gruden has gotten linked to racist comments. In 2021, an email surfaced of him saying NFL executive director Demaurice Smith “has lips the size of Michelin tires” while referring to him as “Dumboriss Smith.”
Gruden: Currently Operating in an Advisor Role
![TRENDING: Former Las Vegas Raiders HC Jon Gruden Once Asked High-End Draft Prospect Jevon Holland The Most Tone Deaf of Questions - REPORT - 2024 Offseason 2 Jon Gruden](https://gridironheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Gruden-Feature.jpg)
After making a racist comment about former NFL executive director Demaurice Smith and calling league commissioner Roger Goodell homophobic slurs via email, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned. Gruden, a longtime broadcaster for ESPN, returned to the gridiron in 2023 in a consulting role with the New Orleans Saints after the organization signed longtime Raiders gunslinger Derek Carr.
Gruden will be an advisor for the Milano Seamen of the European League of Football next year. The Seamen have five league titles and remain one of the better teams in the EFL.
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