Jon Gruden makes a lot of over the top statements, but something he said about Derek Carr on Tuesday was particularly interesting.
A lot has been made of Gruden’s relationship with Carr and some have perceived that their relationship might sour once Gruden shows his true colors (or something to that effect).
He’s probably getting tired of answering questions about his relationship with Carr, but Gruden did it one more time on Tuesday.
“Derek Carr’s a great guy and he’s been coached hard. If you know Pat Hill at Fresno, you know the world this guy comes from,” Gruden told ESPN’s Shelley Smith.
“He wants to be coached hard. I think they want structure, they want discipline. I came back to coach Derek Carr. That’s a big reason I’m here. He is more fun to be around than most guys I’ve been around.”
"That's a big reason I'm here." #Raiders pic.twitter.com/5Gb2v5ZyCY
— Raider Posts (@RaiderPosts) June 13, 2018
Wait, Derek Carr wants discipline and is fun to be around?
Going back to January, there were a few credentialed media types (you can search and find them) that wanted to paint Carr as a rigid moralist type that wouldn’t work well with a “colorful” personality like Gruden.
It was always a ridiculous narrative, but just as he’s accustomed to working with different styles of coaching, Carr is probably used to being pigeon-holed as a person by the way he carries himself on (and off) the field.
With that in mind, it will be fun to watch Carr play for a coach with similar football enthusiasm to his own. Not saying Jack Del Rio didn’t have it (and not saying he did), but having followed closely both Gruden and Carr, they tend to wear their emotions in much the same manner (save for a few adjectives).
Gruden will go full ‘Chucky’ on Carr a few times this year and everyone will be better for it.
Hopefully, Gruden will stay after the officials like old times, too. They’re actually the ones maybe too thin-skinned to handle it.
Just no more made up calls in the playoffs this time. Is that too much to ask?
twitter: @raidersbeat
