Q & A with Jay and Jon Gruden

May 29, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release

JON: It's a lot different. It's as nerve-racking as...(inaudible)...I take it very personally, I have a lot of pride in his performance. I obviously want to see him win and dominate whenever they play.

Q: Jay, what's it like when your brother is at the game? Does it make you more nervous, less nervous? Does it inspire you at all?

JAY: It gets me a little bit more fired up. He's got a busy schedule now – he's got a lot of things going on in his life. For him to take the time out to drive down to Orlando to come watch me play is a great feeling. I love the support.

Q: Jon, why does that word "dominate," dominate your language?

JON: I don't know if it dominates my language, but it's what we're after. That's the goal that we have, not just the Gruden's, but anyone that is in the professional football realm. You want to win, you want to win championships and to do that you have to be dominant in the playoffs. This time it is for Jay Gruden – I'm looking forward to it.

Q: Who was a better athlete as a kid?

JON: I'll let Jay answer that. It wasn't even close, Jay was Division I-A all-time leading passer at Louisville at one point. I was...(inaudible)...backup quarterback at Dayton. That's why I'm a fan and he's still playing.

JAY: He said as a kid.

JON: I used to take Jay to the hole in Nerf basketball every night.

Q: Jon, is it true you never threw a touchdown pass in college?

JON: I don't think I ever did. I threw several in my dreams, but none in the actual line of fire.

Q: Jon, with Jay playing in the Arena Football League and the seasons almost overlapping, do you think that that has caused any issues for you on your coaching staff? What do you think Jay can bring to you at the NFL on your coaching staff?

JON: Jay brought a lot to us last year. We still have his office. It still has his name on the door. It's just waiting for Jay to return. We want him to delay his return here for a couple of weeks but he made great strides as a football coach in the NFL last year and with a young quarterback like CHRIS SIMMS, we're eager to get Jay back in the house here where he can spend some private time and help Chris Simms and his football future here.

Q: Jay, what did you learn from your stint with the Buccaneers? Did you take anything to the Predators?

JAY: I took a lot to the Predators. The everyday work ethic that the coaches and players have to be a good football team. I saw them go from an average team early on to a dominant team towards the end of the year and win the Super Bowl. It all stems from work ethic and guys wanting to get better. Guys learning and studying film and making game plans and spending a lot of time with it. That carried over a little bit. You can't carry a lot of the X's and O's from the NFL over to my league, but as far as work ethic and how to prepare yourself, the playing and the coaching has really carried over.

Q: Jay, would you call yourself crazy to go back to playing after doing the coaching?

JAY: I don't know. I coached for four years here in Orlando and I was offensive coordinator in Nashville for a year. We didn't have a quarterback; our quarterback blew out his knee, so we didn't have a quarterback, and I just had a crazy idea one night after two beers and decided to go back to playing again. I'm glad I did. Its been a lot of fun and had a lot of good times. I have a couple of injuries here to show for it, but for the most part I have no regrets.

Q: Jay, what do you think your biggest issue is with the New York Dragons? What's the biggest problem they present for you?

JAY: I think they're just playing with a lot of confidence right now. They think they're unbeatable right now. That's our biggest problem. As far as players, obviously Aaron Garcia, we have to worry about him. I don't have to worry about him because I'm a quarterback, but I do have to worry about him scoring. They're throwing touchdowns on every possession, which means we have to score every time also. I know our defense will get their stops. They have serious matchup problems with our wide receivers. In the playoffs, it's just a matter of who comes out ready to play and who's not afraid to shoot their best shot.

Q: Jon, the Predators are 10-0 with Jay as quarterback this season, why do you think they've been so good with him?

JON: Not to take anything away from CONNELL MAYNOR or any of the other players, Jay's a real strong quarterback. The guy is not only an outstanding performer, but he is a great strategist. I believe he is still very much involved with calling plays. He is an inspiring guy. He's got great intangibles he brings to the field. When you have a quarterback with those types of traits, it brings up the level of play of everyone around. I think that is somewhat the case here again this year.

Q: How closely do you follow the League?

JON: I follow the game closely ever since Jay has been in the League. It's been well over 10 years. I followed him to Nashville, Orlando and when he was with Tampa Bay Storm. I think it's a great League. I think it is very underestimated as to how great these athletes are – they're playing both ways. There is a lot of guys playing big-time, NFL football that couldn't play in the Arena League because of the versatility that these guys have. They run patterns, then they've got to turn around and cover people. They rush the passer, they have to pass protect. It's a tough League played by tough guys and if you go watch it, you can sit close and see it for yourself.

Q: Is there anyone in your mind that currently stands out in the League?

JON: Some of the players that are the "blue chip" players that have played over a long period of time –the BARRY WAGNERS out in San Jose. Everytime you see San Jose, you see guys that can run and can hit. The Tampa Bay Storm – AL LUCAS, the big defensive lineman has caught my eye. FREDDIE SOLOMON – offensive specialist – fine football player. Down in Orlando, you can't say enough about KENNY McENTYRE. New York quarterback, AARON GARCIA – anybody that can throw 100 touchdown passes in a season and can do it twice – I'd like to have that guy on my team.

Q: Jon, you talked a little bit about the intangibles that Jay brings to the table. If you had to critique his game as an outsider, not knowing him the way you know him, what kind of other things does he bring to the table, other than his leadership?

JON: The thing about Jay is he is one tough guy. He's not going to say anything about that, but the guy is really playing on one leg, he takes numerous hits – he has over the years – he gets up, he stands in the pocket, throws the ball with no fear, great anticipation and timing. He is one of the better pocket quarterbacks in pro football. He'll throw the ball with congestion all around him. He'll throw it accurately and he'll do it again the next play. That's a real positive part of his game.

Q: Jay, has your brother's success in the Super Bowl affected family gatherings?

JAY: Yeah, I would say so. We just had a Father of the Year banquet for my dad and that's the first time all five of us have gotten together in a while. It's been great. At least Jon is in Tampa now, so we get to see him a little bit more. Obviously I'm on his staff and my mom and dad get to come to the games, but my dad knows the profession. He was a coach his whole life, he knows the hours that coaches have to work and prepare a team to get ready to play. That's just understood in the Gruden family. We get together whenever we can, so we're as close knit as we can possibly be for guys working as many hours as they do.

Q: Jay, how is it working for your brother?

JAY: It's great. I wouldn't want to work for any other coach. Not just because he's my brother, but you're talking about a guy that has had great offenses wherever he's been. He's a great motivator. He's got an unbelievable work ethic and that rubs off on other coaches and players. Just to watch him practice and watch him in action is a treat. For me to be able to experience that one year has been awesome, as far as my growth as a coach in the future. The more I can learn from him each year, the better I am going to be as a coach. I hope I can continue to do that.

Q: What do you think about his commercial?

JAY: He needs a little bit of work on his acting skills. I don't think he took any acting classes at Dayton.

Q: Are you going to read this book he's putting out?

JAY: I'm afraid to read that thing. I don't know what he said about me.

JON: You should be afraid, you keep talking, you're not going to want to read any of it.

JAY: I'm sure it will be a thriller.

Q: Jon, did you have any input in Jay's decision to stay with the Predators as a player for one more year?

JON: No, I don't get involved in Jay's personal decisions. He's grown now. He's 35 years old. He's got three boys and a family of his own. I support him in whatever he decides to do. I'll be honest though, I do try to entice him to get into coaching full-time because I really believe that, five, six, seven years down the road, he's going to be real strong as a football coach. He's got real ability as a coach. He's proven that with the Predators. I want him here to help me and help our football team because we need his help.

Q: Jay, how much is the team thinking about, going into the playoffs, the number of players that were selected as all-arena? Is that a consideration for you guys?

JAY: Not really, it never has been. We've been snubbed before. We'll be snubbed again. We've always been a team that doesn't put out a lot of dynamic performers. We're more of a team-oriented squad. It's easier to say that, but when you look at our stats, I like to spread the ball around. If I want to go back and throw the ball to CORY FLEMING on every pass, he would be by far and away, the offensive MVP in this League. He would be first-team All-Arena and the same thing with TRAVIS McGRIFF. I like to spread the ball around. I like to keep defenses on our heels a little bit, where they can't just hone in on one guy. That's the way it is here and our players have accepted that. Travis is happy with Cory's scores and Cory is happy with Travis's scores and THABITI DAVIS jumps in there and gets a high-five when he scores. We're all in this thing together. The personal accolades really don't matter anyway – what do you get, a watch for it? Or maybe your name in the newspapers for one day. We're all after the hardware to put on your finger.

Q: How do you feel about the fact that you have not lost a game since the start of the season?

JAY: I'm happy about that. We've been on a roll as of late and it stems from our defense. Every championship that we've been a part of – you have to have a great defense in this League. Offensive numbers – 100 touchdown passes – none of that stuff matters. If you can't stop a team, you have no chance to win in this League. Our defense is playing really well and that goes well for us because if they're playing well, I feel like we have enough fire power on offense that we can score on anybody. We're obviously very confident. We're 10-0 with myself as a starter. We're on a six-game winning streak, but New York is also very confident right now, so it should be a very exciting game and an interesting one to watch.

Q: What is the difference between standing on the sidelines or in the booths for the Super Bowl and participating in the Arena League.

JAY: The difference is that when I throw an interception, it's my fault. If BRAD JOHNSON throws an interception, it's Jon's fault. I'm obviously more in the spotlight here. The spotlight was totally on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jon in the Super Bowl – it was much deserved. Right now, the quarterback takes a lot of the blame here and gets a lot of the praise – the spotlight's on you more as a quarterback.

Q: Do you get any feeling about the League itself – it's success and lasting power? Is it gaining momentum?

JAY: I feel good about it. That's why I've continued to stay in this League. If I didn't feel good about it, I wouldn't be here right now. I would be in the office with Jon right now. I've been in this League for a long time and the growth has been unbelievable. For us to play on Sunday afternoons on NBC is unbelievable to see where we came from back in 1991 where you could go to some arenas and have shot a cannon and would not have hit anyone – the crowds have gotten bigger. We still have a long way to go to get to where we want to go and I think all the players know that. Hopefully the owners know that and the coaches know that and we're all on the same page to try to get this League where we want it.

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 29, 2003

• AFL Quick Hitters - AFL I
• Quarterfinal Must-See Matchups - AFL I
• Q & A with Jay and Jon Gruden - AFL I
• Quarterfinal Playoffs Approach - AFL I
• Carpenter Signs With NFL's 49ers - Buffalo Destroyers
• Shell Named Coach of the Year - AFL I

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