Controversial NFL figure and longtime head coach Jon Gruden has had his fair share of highs and lows, many of which his wife, Cindy Gruden, has openly discussed in the media. The former Super Bowl-winning coach shares three sons with Cindy, one of whom has followed in his footsteps by becoming an NFL coach.
Gruden, 61, has tried moving past his shameful firing from the Raiders’ head coach position in 2021 after numerous offensive emails of his were leaked.
Gruden tried cleaning his image in 2022 by saying he was ashamed of those emails but has always remained a good person.
To back up the fact that he is a good guy, Gruden said he goes to church, has been loyal to his wife for 31 years, and has three great boys.
Trying to clear up his image worked in Gruden’s favor, as a year later, in 2023, the New Orleans Saints appointed him as a consultant.
Now, there are rumors that Gruden could make his official NFL comeback by becoming the Saints’ offensive coordinator.
With his close ties to Barstool, Gruden has persuaded young followers to like him, and a few clips of him have done numbers on the internet.
Recently, a clip of Gruden and Barstool producer Dave Portnoy talking about WNBA star Caitlin Clark went viral.
Gruden had bought Portnoy, a longtime Clark fan, her high school jersey. Portnoy even shared a picture of the No. 22 jersey on his Instagram story.
Later, Clark texted Portnoy, confirming she only wore No. 11 in high school.
Portnoy then shared a video of him confronting Gruden, with the former NFL head coach saying he didn’t know he got duped.
NFL Coach Jon Gruden’s Wife, Cindy Gruden Recalls Their Early Days As A Couple
Jon Gruden and his wife, Cindy Gruden, tied the knot in 1991, with their first meeting taking place at the University of Tennessee.
A former cheerleader during her college days, Cindy was a graduate student at UT, and Jon was part of the Tennessee football program.
In an interview with SF Gate in 2001, Cindy described her husband during their time at UT as a “Gopher.”
The coaches would send him down to The Strip to get something to eat for everybody, and of course parking was just terrible, so he’d jsut get a place and get a ticket. I don’t know if he ever paid all those tickets.
via: SF Gate
Cindy’s first impression of Jon was that he was a good yapper and loved to spring a story.
But she sensed Jon was destined for greatness as he was a hard worker.
During their early days as a couple, the two used to short in cash, with their dates taking place at movie theatres they paid $1 to enter.
The former NFL coach vowed to Cindy that he would marry her once he landed a full-time coaching job.
So, as soon as he received the job as an offensive assistant to the San Francisco 49ers in 1990, Jon went down on one knee and proposed to Cindy.
Despite being short on cash, Jon paid $1,800 for their engagement ring as that was all he had.
They tied the knot a year later while Jon worked as a wide receivers coach at the University of Pittsburgh.
After Jon secured the job at the Green Bay Packers as an offensive assistant, he and Cindy decided to start a family.
In 2020, Cindy made headlines after the Raiders’ QB, Derek Carr, shouted, “Cindy Gruden, Tiger Woods,” during a play call.
After the game, Jon said, “Derek used my wife’s name in one of his audibles. So, it must not have been that loud.
Still trying to figure out why Cindy Gruden came up during the game. Gotta look into that.“
Cindy is available on Facebook but has remained inactive on the social media platform since 2019.
One of Jon Gruden’s Son Has Followed In His Footsteps
Jon and Cindy Gruden are parents to three boys-Deuce Gruden, Michael Gruden, and Jayson Gruden.
Jon’s oldest son, Duece Gruden, has continued to work with the Las Vegas Raiders despite his father getting fired in 2021.
A Lafayette College graduate, Deuce is the strength and conditioning assistant of the Raiders.
Deuce received his master’s degree from A.T. Still University in Kinesiology with a focus on corrective exercise.
He previously competed as a powerlifter and even won gold at the 2017 International Powerlifting Federation’s World Classic Powerlifting Championship in Belarus.
Before joining the Raiders in 2018, Gruden worked with the Washington Commanders in the same position.
The Raiders have credited Deuce for helping players like Trent Brown and Rodney Hudson earn Pro Bowl honors.
In 2023, the team also credited him for helping Max Crosby earn his third-straight Pro Bowl selection.
Deuce is available on Instagram and has shared several pictures and videos of him powerlifting.
Gruden family’s middle child, Michael Gruden, is a Digital Marketing Manager at Gruden Loves Football, a family business.
He is also a music producer and DJ and goes by the stage named HEXED.
Jon and Cindy’s youngest kid, Jayson Gruden, is a certified personal trainer and works as a music assistant to his brother.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- In 2018, Jon Gruden’s son, Jayson Gruden made headlines as he made his Muay Thai fighting debut. In his debut fight, Gruden earned victory over his opponent in a three-round decision.
- Before Super Bowl 59, Jon Gruden called Chiefs’ star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, a notorious flop artist at times.
