Games with Names - Jon Gruden Stories

Episode Date: May 31, 2026

Jon Gruden tells his best stories from his time as an NFL head coach and discusses his opinions on the current state of the NFL.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, it's us The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. On Humor Me with Robert Smygel and Friends, we help make you funnier on this episode. My guest's Bob, Odin Kirk, and Kids in the Hall's Bruce McCullough, try and help the Kazoo Kid and Tayson Day be famous again. What if there's an alternate universe show where you guys are incredibly popular? Well, and they could travel up the land doing meet and greets. They're constantly needed at malls. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smygill and Friends on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I am the Therapy Gecko. I am an unlicensed lizard therapist who takes phone calls from real anonymous humans about their problems, such as this. Sometimes I'll have my girlfriend pre-chew it spicy food and kind of baby bird it into my mouth. Is that weird? This week on Therapy Gecko, we're hearing all real authentic human stories about anything, from relationships to family drama to serendipitous encounters with unexpected. people and things. If real people pique your interest, this is the podcast for you. Listen to Therapy Gecko on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season, and I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis coming to him, he's like, you know I love you,

dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to games with names.

I'm Julian Edelman, and we got a brand new compilation highlight reel starting now. Now, John Rudin, on what bad football actually looks like. Now, what is bad football? I hear all these people on TV talking about

what is bad football? You know, bad football's bad ball security. When you when you see guys fumbling the ball, careless ball security, that is bullshit. Pre-snap penalties. Can't take pre-stap penalties make me throw up. I stick my hand in the car door. It doesn't even matter anymore in college football. Fumble snaps?

Fumbles, what's all bad football? Missed blocking assignments. How about a quarterback running a ball into a free safety blitz and getting the back smashed? That is bad. How about a blown coverage? You know, we ship shift over here, we motion. How about not running to the ball?

How about not breaking the huddle? You know, flat to downhill on an income. What about dropping passes? How about you catch the ball against the zone and you start dancing around? Get vertical. Get, you see what I'm saying? So you've got to show all this bad shit to the players.

This is bad. Don't do this. Then I'll show a good clip. You see Edelman right here, slice these guys. That's a 14-yard game. He caught it for a four-yard game. That's 10 yards. He split them.

You know, then you show somebody doing it bad. But lack of concentration, bad football. What's the Mount Rushmore of bad football? There's only four of them. Oh, bad meetings. Bad meetings. Bad preparation. Bad attitude.

Selfishness. It all starts there. You can control some of this stuff. You got to walk into that meeting thinking, oh, yeah, I'm checking myself in to get better today. A lot of guys check in like, God, I can't take it. I can't take Wednesdays. Fuck, I hate Thursdays.

You know what I mean? So it all starts. That's where it starts bad. And if it starts bad, you got a hard time to really get it going. So you got to get some culture guys. That's why your patriots are doing well. Spalane? Have you ever been around Robert Spelaine?

He would play on the Walt Whitman Bridge for nothing. You understand that? And so would Gibbons. What's the other guy's name? Your other linebacker. I love him. You got him from Philly. Landry?

Christian Ellison. Ellis. He's a bad. bad ass, you know, but these guys will play for nothing. But I think it starts there. And then the drill work, when that horn blows, from the time we have patent go to our individual has to be all about eliminating bad football. You know, your stance, your start, right?

The new routes, whatever it is. All security. All security. Just, you know, the little things. You got to do the unsophisticated things so you can do the sophisticated things. You got to do the unsophisticated things so you could do the sophisticated things. Because most of these games aren't won. Yeah.

They're lost. But you know, too, what I read about Vrabel is he has every Patriot player. I think they call it the four Hs. Yeah. So he would tell you to get up there and tell us who your hero is. Tell us about some heartbreak in your life. I can't remember all the four Hs is off the top. But I learn who you are if I'm another player on the,

team. You learn who I am. And it kind of gives you a sense of, I got to run this route for this guy. We got to play together for us to have a chance. Yeah. And a lot of teams aren't together. No. We also got history, heroes, heartbreak, and hope. What's, well, what's, we know what bad football is. What's good football then? You hear it all the time, situationally, you know, teams that can convert in short yardage. I'm not talking about this bullshit tush push. I'm talking about Get some weight on your front hand. Reduce your splits. Come off the ball and have a running back that understands a great run on third and one is one yard.

We got to get this first down. You know, converting into red zone, getting touchdowns, you know, contributing on special teams. People don't realize in the NFL, we don't have 98 guys down there. I might say, hey, Ronde Barber. Ronde Barber covered a kicks for us in the Super Bowl. He's a Hall of Fame DB. I keep to leave. I never thought about it one time.

I never went up and kissed Ronde's ass because he's playing on. He did it because he wanted to win a championship. Yeah. You know, but I think just being on top of your assignments, right, competing your ass off, fourth quarter pass rush. You've got to have a group that can close the game out. Yeah. Because inevitably, you're going to play your ass off and have a five-point lead with two minutes left.

Tom Brady did a great job. You guys have done a great job offensively. But you know what? your defense has to go out there and end it. You got to make Malcolm Butler, you got to make a play. Somebody, you know, it's got to be Willie McGinnis. It's got to be Will Fork. It's got to be Ninkervich.

High Tower. Got to be somebody Collins. Trade Flowers. Nobody talks about those guys. But they had a lot to do with you guys getting these rings, man. A lot of them. And I like what coach talked about with Warren Sapag. Don't be afraid to call it time out and let those big boys rest.

Yeah, well, he's in those late situations. I love that. We go out there, it's hot as hell in Tampa. You guys know that. It is hot. We're wearing these red uniforms and pewter pants. And Sapses, hey, do I get a, can I take a timeout? I'm like, what the hell are you talking about?

What are you going to take him to your grave? You know what I mean? No. He goes, I get tired. Can I take a time out? I go, yeah. So he's out. He rushes.

He comes back. He rushes. He comes back. He takes a time out. So we go out there like a crew of firemen. We give him Gatorade and water them up. Pick crew. Pick, bam.

Yep. But what happens is during the two, minute drill, the high-priced rushers, the great players, they get tired. They got to come out of the game. And you're replacing Warren Sapp with who? He ain't Warren Sapp. He ain't Warren Sapp. Then you got smart guys on the other side that go no huddle and keep them trapped on, keep the same personnel group. That's how you tire out these big fucking guys. Hit them with a couple screens and start the goddamn drive, make them run sideways, keep them on the field. That's right. It's one of my favorite Warren Sap stores. I love that. I know. How many hours of film do you

think you've watched in your life hours unfortunately probably most of my life you know i missed my projector shit i'm sitting in this little hotel i'm like damn you know i don't i feel like i where's my where's my clicker yeah you got a cowboy clicker on the road sometimes you got i didn't bring my projector because i knew i was going to be busy and you know sometimes you're on the airplane and you're studying film and you kind of get that douche quality you know what i mean i don't want people to think I'm a nerd or, you know, I like to have a little fun when I'm traveling. But I do miss it, man. You know, I make, I make reels. I bought two servers. Servers are expensive. I've got all my video, my practice tapes. I got Brett Farv practice tape from

1993, 1994. I'll install plays. I just coach the Hulah Bowl. I'll install plays and I'll show Joe Montana doing it in 1990. I'll show Brett of doing it in 2000, Tom Brady doing it in 2010, and I'll show your guy, Drake May, doing it yesterday. And I'll say, do you have any questions about this concept? It's a good play, isn't it? You know, you sell your shit. I got to sell the plays to the players. Players aren't stupid. You got to sell it. And the players got to buy it. And he's got to get excited about running it, knowing this is going to kick their ass. So I make all these tapes and I still get to a collaborative with coaches behind the scenes and players, and I just, I just love it.

Were you getting this database of film? That's not for public knowledge. I'm just saying. I'm a pirate. What goes on behind the door? I'll go visit Dan Campbell, let me come to the Lions. You know, Kirby Smart invited me to Georgia. Ryan Day invited me to Ohio State.

I get to go watch these practices, and I might say, is there anything I can have, can I have anything? Like I'm a beggar. You know, can I have some? And usually these guys give me something that I can study. Now, FFCA, what is it? Yeah, fired football coaches association. Fire football coaches association.

You've been in it now for a few years. Yeah. And the luxury of that, you get to go see these other coaches. You get to get these other films. What's something you've learned from visiting one of these coaches that you've been super impressed with that? If you get your next shot, I'm going to bring that into my... I've always been a thief.

I've stolen plays. Copycat League. I've stolen drills. I continue to do that. I also have confirmed in my mind that our way of doing it is the best. You know, egotistically, I wanted people to come to our practices and go, fucking, hey, that was a great practice. That was a great practice.

You know, so I've always taken real pride in that. The coach at Georgia is a real deal. Kirby Smart. I love the way they utilize their fields, their coaching staffs. These coaching staffs, they got like 50 guys now. And everybody has an assignment. You know, you've got to take interest in player development. Young guys, you've got to rejuvenate a veteran player.

Somebody's coming off injury. You got a new coach. You got to incorporate all this stuff together. And everybody wants coaches to have less time, Julian. The collective bargaining agreement, no pads, no quarterback school. no offseason program. How the hell is the game going to get better? Games on Thursdays. Games on Wednesday. I hate it. We, you know, I was with Trace Smith. Is it, yeah, I mean, I don't want to get into it.

But when you got to open up the season in Brazil, play on Thanksgiving, play on Christmas, play on Monday night, and then fly to Buffalo on a short week, people don't realize that shit is hard. Now you're playing 17 games. And you got two buy weeks. And during the buy week, you're not allowed to let your players in the building. Come on. Now, John Gruden talks about the culture of the Oakland Raiders fans. I shouldn't say it.

But, you know, I'm not going to say it. I've seen a lot of crazy stuff down there. I've smelled some crazy smells. And one of the coolest things was when we really got it going, the black hole was rocking. Rocking. And they had the alienator and Gorillarilla Rilla. and they had some famous Raider characters in full costume. Oh, yeah.

And I looked down there and they're going crazy and they're yelling my name and I turn around and my mom is in the black hole with my young son, Michael, who was four years old. Oh, my gosh. And I'm like, get the hell out of there. Get her. You know, but it was, those were my friends. Those people are the kind of people I relate to the most. I hear you, man.

You know, they want to fucking win the game, man, at any cost. And they were always there. When loser draw, they were always behind us. It's a fun group of fans that, you know, the NFL needs. And they need to somehow get those people back in to Vegas. This May, IHeartRadio celebrates Asian Heritage Month. Discover powerful stories, vibrant cultures, and unforgettable music. From inspiring podcasts to playlist that span East, South, Southeast, and West Asian artists.

We're honoring the voices shaping up. Our world. Listen now on the free IHard Radio app. And at IHardio.ca. Number one hits, millions of records sold. Awards, sold out tours. You think that Jonas Brothers are satisfied? Nope, it's podcast time.

We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Hey, Jonas is available now, and their first guest is a big one. Paul Rudd. You know, Steve Carell is a great singer. Can you tell you not to audition at the office or something? I told him. Whoa. We were filming Anchorman.

Clearly, I was the idiot. Thank God he didn't listen to him, right? Listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Humor Me with Robert Smygo and Friends, we help make you funnier on this episode. My guest's Bob Oden Kirk and Kids in the Hall's Bruce McCullough try and help the Kazoo Kid and Tazan Day be famous again. What if there's an alternate universe show where you guys are incredibly popular. Well, and they could travel up the land doing

meet and greets. They're constantly needed at malls. Listen to humor me with Robert Smygling Friends on the I-Hard Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions

are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer

beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice. On the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo's Slice of Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Next, John Gruden on coaching both Jerry Rice and Tim Brown on the same team. How was that having Tim Brown and Jerry Wright? It was awesome. You know, it's a funny thing is I was always very perceptive to the ball distribution. I never wanted to, Tim, you'll appreciate this. The Z lines up to the call in our offense generally. And let's see.

here's slot zoomer x so anyways jerry played z for the 49ers same system for about 15 years tim played z for me for three years so we moved jerry to x so during minicamp we would break the huddle and jerry and tim would be over there at z i'd be like god damn it jerry you're the x oh don't yell at jerry you know what i mean hey excuse me uh jerry you go but at the end of the year i think they both had over 90 catches you can quote me what the stats were they both had over a thousand yards and I think they both had the same amount of touchdowns. See here. 1,000.

That would be 2001 Raiders. Let me see here we got. Jerry. Jerry had 40, no, he had, hold on, 83 catches, nine touchdowns. Tim Brown, 91 catches, nine touchdowns. They both have over a thousand? Yeah, they both went over a thousand. Granted, Jerry was 40 years old right here.

The braids were back here. Yeah. The braids were. were back there. I had this office in Alameda, and I walked in. We played the Titans, I think it was, a Monday night football. And we had this play double post. Two posts, the tight end would clear out the poach safety, and Jerry would run a post.

Tim would run a quarter-beater. Quarter's beater. And we had somebody coming underneath, you know. And we had 22 personnel, two backs, two tight-ins, just one wide out. So I ran double post, and I go, let's go 22 Z. Let's go Jerry Rice. and Jerry runs the double post the next day I walk in my office

and Tim Brown's sitting in my chair at my desk Drew Dole you took my double post man he didn't like that so I'm like I'm sorry man but I'll never forget First preseason day Did you complete? Did he complete it?

I just said no I just said hey it is Jerry Rice It's not like you know Some slap deck out there I mean you know But I remember the first preseason game We had Jerry and Tim And I told him, I said, we're at home.

I said, I'm going to let you guys play the first three plays. That's it. First play of the game, I called H2 Double Go. And Gannon, he's a bad at. Gannon looks to me, he goes, hey, who do you want me to throw it to? I go, that's your fucking problem, man. You know what I mean? But you got a free safety in the middle of the field.

You got racing Brown. So there was some of that that Gannon had to deal with. You know, it's not as easy as people think. No, that is not, especially just at the point to where they were in their career. Now, John Gruden talks about the current state of NFL practices. These coaching staffs, they got like 50 guys now. And everybody has an assignment. You got to take interest in player development.

Young guys, you got to rejuvenate a veteran player, somebody's coming off injury, you got a new coach, you got to incorporate all this stuff together. And everybody wants coaches to have less time, Julian. The collective bargaining agreement, no pads, no quarterback school, no offseason program. How the hell is the game going to get better? Games on Thursdays.

Games on Wednesday. I hate it. We, you know, I was with Trace Smith. Is it, yeah, I mean, I don't want to get into it. But when you got to open up the season in Brazil, play on Thanksgiving, play on Christmas, play on Monday night, and then fly to Buffalo on a short week,

people don't realize that shit is hard. Now you're playing 17 games. And you got two buy weeks. And during the buy week, you're not allowed to let your players in the building. Come on. I mean, there's a rule for everything. Wayne until college unifies. Yeah.

It's going to be crazy. Now, you've been to a bunch of those practices, you know, when you were doing Monday football. What were some of the sharpest practices that you saw that you just envy? Like, that's a fucking tight, that's a tight ran ship right there. Those boys practice, like, what are some of the team? that impressed you? Well, it's easy. Usually it's the guys that I knew,

because I related to how they did it. Mike McCarthy, when he was with Green Bay, he did a hell of a job, man. You know, the way he utilized the indoor facility instead of having everybody sitting down on a meeting, you know, sometimes they'd get up, take 10 minutes in the indoor facility to demonstrate a play or a concept.

They took advantage of the outdoor indoor or with the cold weather. They might go outside for 15 minutes and work on anti-turnover circuit and then come in where it's warmer, where they could concentrate. McCarthy did a great job. How do you think he's going to do in Pittsburgh? Who's the quarterback? Everybody wants to talk about us coaches.

Let's be honest. Tomlin had five different quarterbacks five years in a row. Now they made the playoffs. I got fired for going nine and seven, nine and seven, my last two years in Tampa. The only way I think you get to the brain. of the top of the game is you've got to have great quarterback play. You know, that guy touches the ball every play. We're like caddies.

You know, if you're caddying for Tiger Woods, you've got a chance to win the master's. Yeah. If you're tiger, you know, if you're caddian for some club champion, you might make a couple birdies, but you're going to have a hard time wearing the green jacket. I like that analogy. Now, now, coach, you're a very big situational football guy. Off the top of your dome, third and long, what's your favorite play?

you know what i stay very wait up is there an indigo concept in it well daggers you know with a little sit by the tight end trips formation a little three level a little three level we got to have help on the right side you got to have help on the left side of chips push it if you're in third and 12 third and 14 worst we called it 76 a splash which was z spear with an ex trash a shallow cross and a back Catch and run. You want to catch and run them? Well, look, if you think you're going to take two or three hitches and let some 18-yard dagger develop against all these pass rushers

and all these stunts, good luck. You know, you got to stay on a schedule. You know that. Sometimes a little checkdown, let the guy rally for it and put me in fourth and one, I'll go for it. You know, sometimes you got to play that a little bit too, you know. You don't want to just stand back there and let these beasts feast. And that's really, I mean, that's my.

money down. That's where all those guys are making. Hey, that's where you get all the exotic fronts. That's where you get all the exotic TE games and who they bring in. We think they're bringing these five. No, they're bringing these four. They're dropping this guy and you just threw a fucking interception. You remember Mahomes when they beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl a few years ago, the play of the game to Tyree Kill. They're running a dagger with an ultra-high corner instead of a middle clear.

And Mahomes, I swear to God, I thought he's going to get killed. I have no idea how Pat got that ball that far down the field and that accurate under that hot of a pocket. You've got to have a guy that's got big balls, man, that will stand in there and take bullets, especially back in the day. Thanks for listening. Remember to tune in every Tuesday for a brand new episode and every Sunday for another games with names highlight.

Number one hits, millions of records sold, awards sold out, tours, you think that Jonas brothers are satisfied? Nope, it's podcast time. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Hey Jonas is available now, and their first guest is a big one, Paul Rudd. You know, Steve Carell is a great singer. Can you tell you not to audition at the office or something? I told him.

Whoa. We were filming Anchorman. Clearly, I was the idiot. Thank God he didn't listen to him, right? Listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends, Help make you funnier on this episode. My guest's Bob, Odin Kirk, and Kids in the Hall's Bruce McCullough, try and help the

Kazoo Kid and Tazan Day be famous again. What if there's an alternate universe show where you guys are incredibly popular? Well, and they could travel up the land doing meet and greets. They're constantly needed at malls. Listen to humor me with Robert Smygling Friends on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I am the Therapy Gecko. I am an unlicensed lizard therapist who takes phone calls from real anonymous humans about their problems, such as this. Sometimes I'll have my girlfriend pre-chew with spicy food and kind of baby bird it into my mouth.

Is that weird? This week on Therapy Gecko, we're hearing all real, authentic human stories about anything, from relationships to family drama to serendipitous encounters with unexpected people and things. If real people peak your interest, this is the podcast for you. Listen to Therapy Gecko on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments.

If we didn't talk ever again, I was hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in too, he's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.