Jon Gruden coached in three Senior Bowls and spent more than 20 years as an NFL head coach or assistant, so he worked with numerous former Alabama and Auburn stars during that time.

Gruden was inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame on Sunday night at the Grand Hotel in Fairhope, part of a 2025 class that also included former star players Terron Armstead, Geno Atkins, Alex Mack and Richard Sherman. The former Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach and former Monday Night Football analyst spoke with reporters prior to event for the following Q&A (some answers have been edited for clarity or condensed for length):

Q: You coached in three Senior Bowls (1999, 2005, 2019). What did you like so much about it? What did you take out of it?

A: “It used to be when you got picked to coach the Senior Bowl, your team had one of the worst records in the league. So, it was kind of like, oh God. But it was a huge advantage for us, I think, in preparing for the draft.

“We got to know, not only how good the players were, but we got to see them behind the scenes. How much they studied, what their mannerisms were like, their leadership skills, their practice ethics, all that stuff. So, it was really good for us.

“We got Cadillac Williams, the (2005) Rookie of the Year, Hunter Renfrow as a Pro Bowl slot receiver. I remember my first year, we got (linebacker) Eric Barton and (defensive tackle) Roderick Coleman for the Raiders. We would have never taken those guys if we didn’t learn to love them right here at the Senior Bowl.

“And I always elevated players. Whether I was right or wrong, I moved them all up on our board if they played here. I think the guys that play in this game are the guys that really love football, that would probably play football for nothing. And I like guys like that.

Q: You mentioned Cadillac. I remember you saying at the (Senior Bowl week) press conference, you wish you could take him home in your suitcase right now and not have to worry about the game. What do you remember about that?

A: “Well, I remember he had a great, terrific year at Auburn. He and Ronnie Brown and Cedric Benson (of Texas) were the three backs that were going to go in the Top 10. And I remember having Cadillac here in the Senior Bowl. We needed a running back and we’re going to take a back.

“And Steve Hale was running the (Senior Bowl). He came and saw me the day of the game and he said, ‘Jon, maybe it’s best if Cadillac doesn’t carry the ball in this game. Because we don’t want to get him hurt in front of his home fans.

“So I said, ‘Steve, I wasn’t planning on giving him the ball either, you know’. But I remember walking into the locker room at halftime and there were a bunch of Auburn fans that were not happy with me, man. Because they came to see their Cadillac play. But anyways, that was a great memory.

Q: You’ve coached in the Senior Bowl several times, most recently in 2019. But what are some of your fondest memories of being here in Mobile?

A: “I’ve made a lot of friends here. Some of my coaching friends from around the league. You know, you don’t get to fraternize with your friend with the Ravens or your friend with the Bengals. Or see Sean Payton, your good friends in the league, unless you go to the Combine in Indianapolis or you come to Mobile.

“So some of my late nights out with my friends here in Mobile were some of the best moments I’ve had here. You know, I really enjoyed the people and the restaurants and the food. I think the restaurant was called Wintzell’s. I think I broke an NFL record at Wintzell’s for jambalaya.”

Q: You’ve become the swag master of the world. How did that come about and how’s it been?

A: “Well, we have a lot of coaches come through my office to study. And Jason Candle’s a hot shot coach at Toledo. He came in and spent the day with me. And I guess a token of his appreciation, he sent me a box of Toledo Rocket gear.

“And my friend Jake from Barstool, he videoed me opening it. And we sent it out there and the next day we got a box from the Cincinnati Bearcats. And then it was a flood of stuff. But it’s our way of recognizing schools. Some of the great players and coaches and traditions that these places offer. It’s been a lot of fun.

“I just did a St. Louis Blues box. And the St. Louis Blues invited me to the game the other night. So I’m making some really good friends. So keep it coming, please. Let me ask you an NFL question.”

Q: Your first four years with the Raiders, you did not have a player from Alabama playing a regular season game. When you came back from the Raiders, you couldn’t turn over a rock in the NFL without finding a guy that played Alabama. And y’all drafted Josh Jacobs in the first round. What changed between the first time with the Raiders and the second time that we had this flood of players from the Alabama Crimson Tide, in the NFL?

A: “We’ve had our share of moments where the timing isn’t right. Sometimes that has a lot to do with it. But I’ll say this, in the last 20 years, Alabama’s been a lot better football team, too. I mean, let’s be honest. When that guy, what do they call him, Saban? When he came rolling through Tuscaloosa, things changed.

“And the style of play, the type of offense they ran, the type of defense they ran, the way that they practiced. The ability of these players really, I think, escalated.”

Q: You drafted Josh Jacobs in the first round in 2019. What did you like about him?

A: “I love him. I can’t believe they let him out of there [as a free agent to the Green Bay Packers in 2024], honestly. I think he would have won Rookie of the Year also had he not gotten hurt the last three or four games.

“But he’s a vicious competitor. Great without the ball. That’s what I try to tell a lot of young running backs. He’s a little bit like Frank Gore that way, the former 49er. He can really pick up blitzes. He knows where to go in a passing game. And he is a great runner. He can run inside or out. He takes care of the ball. And the guy makes a lot of people miss. And he can knock you out, man. This guy’s a vicious runner.”

Q: When you hosted the quarterback show on ESPN, Cam Newton was on there prior to the 2011 NFL draft. Maybe he took some heat for some of the things he said, but he ended up having a great career. What did you make of that whole situation?

A: “Gus Malzahn was a magician back then. You know, the Chip Kellys and Gus Malzahn, I think, changed the face of college football forever with these up-tempo, no-huddle offenses.

“I called him Slam Newton. Because he was running the rock, man. And they had speed going one way.

“And he would either hand it to them or he would keep it. And in every critical situation, fourth-and-2, third-and-3 in the red zone, you knew where the ball was going. And it really didn’t matter.

“But what he did, I think, as a rookie, proving that he could win in the pocket and then win outside the pocket like we all knew he could, he had four or five years where he was virtually unstoppable. I just wish he didn’t get hurt. And I’m glad I didn’t have to compete against him when I was in Tampa. I was in the (ESPN) booth. I was comfortable up there.

Q: What about this event tonight? What do you think about going into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame?

A: “You see Ozzie Newsome walk in. I got on the plane in Atlanta and I’m on the plane with Cornelius Bennett. And some of my favorite players that I grew up competing against and studying and watching. It’s one of the best honors I’ve had in my life.

“And it’s a football town, now. It’s a football place — Mobile, Alabama. And this is a special game. I think Paul Brown and Tom Landry are two coaches that are in the Hall of Fame here for the Senior Bowl. And to even be mentioned with those guys is as good an honor as you could ever imagine.”