FAB 4. Gruden’s Super Buccaneers

Jon Gruden had plenty of success with the Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl XXXVII in his first season in Tampa Bay, winning three NFC South division titles and taking the team to playoffs in the process en route to becoming the franchise’s all-time winningest coach. But he’s also had his share of controversies from his clashes with former general manager Rich McKay to a contentious relationship with outspoken wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson over his usage to some friction with star fullback Mike Alstott about his role in Gruden’s offense.

Legendary Bucs head coach Jon Gruden and WR Keyshawn Johnson – Photo by: Getty Images

Gruden declined to talk about McKay, saying “You know all about that,” but he did address his relationship with Keyshawn and Alstott.

“I was never really one to have buddies [on the team],” Gruden said. “I was the coach of the team. I was traded in the middle of the night here. I didn’t even know any of the assistant coaches. I didn’t have time to go out and have hot dogs, and stuff like that. I really felt that Keyshawn was a good player. I also felt that [Keenan] McCardell was a great player. He was a flanker, which was often times the primary receiver in our offense. He could run all the routes. I thought Joe Jurevicius was outstanding. I thought he was a hell of a player.

“There were times when I would take Keyshawn out of the game because I didn’t think he was the best receiver in the situation that we were going to ask our guys to run. No disrespect to Keyshawn Johnson, but I thought McCardell – and if you want to check their statistics – was pretty good. Joe Jurevicius, when healthy, was a hell of a player. There was some friction there, but I have a lot of respect for Keyshawn. He was a great competitor. He had 1,000 yards and we won the Super Bowl together.”

In case you’re wondering, Johnson finished his 11-year NFL career with 814 catches for 10,571 yards with 64 touchdowns – 298 catches for 3,828 yards and 17 touchdowns happed in Tampa Bay from 2001-03 – while McCardell had 883 catches for 11,373 yards and 63 touchdowns in his 16-year career. In two years with Gruden in Tampa Bay, McCardell had 145 receptions for 1,844 yards and 14 touchdowns. Both had a 1,000-yard season under Gruden with Johnson’s coming in 2002 with McCardell’s coming in 2003, a year in which he made the Pro Bowl.

With regards to Alstott, his fan base and some allies in the media became incensed that his playing time diminished under Gruden. After rushing for 680 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in 2001, many felt his touches might increase in 2002, but they actually declined with the arrival of running back Michael Pittman.

Legendary Bucs FB Mike Alstott and coach Jon Gruden – Photo by: Getty Images

“I had a good relationship with [Alstott],” Gruden said. “In our first year together we won the Super Bowl. After the second year, he broke his neck in the second game of the year. That was tough on us. That was a tough time when Mike got hurt. I wanted backs to do different things. I used a stable of backs in Philadelphia. I had Charlie Gardner and Ricky Watters together. I used [Tyrone] Wheatley and [Napoleon] Kaufman, Garner and Zack Crockett – I used a lot of backs in Oakland. I wanted to use a lot of backs here.

“Mike is an I-formation runner. He is not a split back halfback. He is not a guy you run halfback choices with and option routes and a guy you empty the formation with. He’s a hammer. I just didn’t use the hammer all the time. I liked to use some other tools. But he is certainly one of the all-time greats. I felt good enough about my relationship [with him]. I’m sure he wishes he had gotten the ball more. I never met a back that didn’t.”

Alstott was never the same after missing the final 12 games of the 2003 after he suffered a fracture in his neck after colliding with Jurevicius. Yet Alstott was involved in some monumental plays when Gruden needed to score. Alstott scored the first touchdown at Philadelphia in the 2002 NFC Championship Game and also in Super Bowl XXXVII. When Gruden wanted to beat Washington with a late-game 2-point conversion, he turned to Alstott for the winning score.

“He’s the anvil,” Gruden said. “If you needed a yard, he’d get you the yard. If you needed to close somebody out, he would close you out.”

Bucs DE Simeon Rice – Photo by: Getty Images

One player Gruden had a very good relationship with with was Pro Bowl defensive end Simeon Rice. He heard about the discussion on NFL Network that stemmed from Scott Smith’s great article on Buccaneers.com that stated the case for Rice making the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“He’s in my Hall of Fame,” Gruden said. “Hell yeah he is [a Hall of Famer]. He had Warren Sapp with him a lot of the time, but when you put up that kind of sack production, you know … he dominated the Super Bowl. He had a game-changing sack-strip in the NFC Championship Game. I don’t have a vote in the Hall of Fame. Ira Kaufman has a vote. But he’s in my Hall of Fame.”

After discussing those three Super Bowl champions, I prompted Gruden to take part in some word association about some of the other star players and key members of the Buccaneers franchise and he willingly obliged.

Gruden on defensive tackle Warren Sapp: “He’s great. He’s a great player, man. He’s great. He lived for the big moments.”

Gruden on cornerback Ronde Barber: “He’s a savage. He is a bad ass. He’s like a savage, man. Do you know what I mean? He’ll fight you for a quarter. He’ll fight you for an inch. One of the great competitive savages I’ve ever had the chance to be around. I love that guy.”

Gruden on linebacker Derrick Brooks: “He’s a natural. He had it all. His athletic ability, his preparation, his instincts, and he could strike you, man. He’s the best one-on-one space tackler that I remember. No one could get Marshall Faulk like he got him.”

Gruden on safety John Lynch: “Big hitter. Thunderous hitter. Dynamic leader. That’s probably the best way to summarize him.”

Super Bowl Bucs QB Brad Johnson – Photo by: Getty Images

Gruden on quarterback Brad Johnson: “Underrated. Underappreciated. Tough as [expletive]. I looked at the film when I got here and I have never seen a quarterback get hit like that. We win the Super Bowl and he had a broken back. He’s a bull. He needs to be in the Ring of Honor.”

Gruden on running back Michael Pittman: “Popeye. Big arm guy. He was a great protector and a great receiver. He was a great pass protector. He picked up some blitzes now and made people not want to blitz. He would puncture your lung. He was a ‘little thing guy.’ He would do all the little things. He didn’t make the long runs and didn’t make enough big plays to be considered elite, but he was a hell of a player.”

Gruden on cornerback Dwight Smith: “He was nasty. He was a nasty guy. He was a real physical corner. He really allowed Ronde Barber to be great because when we went to nickel, Ronde could come inside and do what he does best. Dwight was tough, man. Dwight could play in different coverages, but he was a nasty guy on special teams. He brought an identity to our team. He fit right in with those guys.”

Gruden on safety Dexter Jackson: “He took hard coaching from Mike Tomlin, but he was persistent. He just believed in himself. He had thick skin and he kept getting better. He became Super Bowl MVP. Mike Tomlin was hard on him. He had some up and down moments early in his career, but Mike believed in him. Sooner or later, Dexter believed in himself and it all came together.”

Gruden on guard Kerry Jenkins: “‘Big Country’ never said a word, but we needed a big, athletic guard that could pull and get on the edges. He was a good pick up for us. He knew Bill Muir from their Jets days. He just brought a quiet confidence and quiet leadership to our offensive line, and boy we needed it.”

Gruden on former Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy: “I don’t know Dungy as well as people might think, but obviously a Hall of Famer. Great person. He is a Hall of Famer. Great coach. Great role model.”

Jon Gruden and Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer – Photo by: Getty Images

Gruden on defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin: “Monte worked for me last year. He was in here every day. Me and Kiff go way back. Monte Kiffin is a great teacher. He’s got a great work ethic. I’ll tell you one thing, too. He developed coaches as well as players. I give him a lot of credit for that. He obviously had a lot to do with the success we had around here. He was outstanding.”

Gruden on Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer: “He was a self-made guy. A lot of these guys that have money they win the lottery or inherit money. This guy sold watches door to door. When he spoke, if you just listened to him, you probably had the chance to be successful. He gave me some really good pieces of advice that I listened to, and he was right. He told me where to buy a house. He was a funny guy. He was a great leader. He did it all himself. He had great vision and great foresight about what was going to happen. It was a really sad day when we lost him. It was a sad day, man. He was a good man.”