MLN Sports Zone - Minor League Sports Magazine

Brother of Chucky
Orlando Predator QB Jay Gruden is making the AFL look like 'child's play'.

Jonathan Roybal
MinorLeagueNews.com

02.07.03 - Maybe you've heard the story about the first-year head coach who guided his team to a championship victory, defeating the very team he used to lead on the gridiron.

This guy is well on his way to becoming football legend in Florida...and yes, his name is Gruden.

What may surprise you though, is that I'm talking about Orlando Predators QB Jay Gruden, not Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden.

Everyone knows about "Chucky" and how he led his team to a Super Bowl victory over his former team, the Oakland Raiders.

But, Jay's story rivals that of his older brother, maybe even surpasses it.

Jay may not have the face grimaces, a horror-doll nickname, or national recognition, but the intensity and passion for the game of football are identical.

One of the top quarterbacks in Arena Football League history, Gruden retired following the 1996 season as the AFL career leader in practically every category for quarterbacks.

He led the Tampa Bay Storm to four ArenaBowl championships (1991-93-95-96) in six seasons as a player and was awarded the league MVP in 1992.

Gruden capped his (first) playing career in 1996 when he led the Storm to a 42-38 victory against the Kurt Warner-led Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl X. With a banged-up ankle and little incentive to stay, Gruden retired after the season and became an assistant with Nashville.

He was named coach of the Orlando Predators in 1998 and quickly became a thorn in Tampa Bay's side. The Predators beat the heavily-favored Storm in ArenaBowl XII, then proceeded to knock Tampa Bay out of the playoffs the next two seasons.

Still, after coaching Orlando to three consecutive AFL championship games, winning two, Gruden's desire to play remained strong.

An opportunity presented itself when Orlando quarterback Craig Whelihan blew out his knee in a 2001 first-round playoff loss.

Jay made one of the most incredible comebacks in the history of professional sports, returning to play quarterback in the Arena Football League after a layoff of more than five seasons.

"Had he not blown out his knee, we would have had a different ending to the season and wouldn't have needed a quarterback," Gruden said.

Jay came back in an impressive fashion, setting career highs for attempts and completions, while leading the Predators to the semifinals in 2002.

During the off-season, Jay joined his brother with the Bucs and added a seventh professional football championship to his resume as an offensive assistant.

"I was on the headset every game with Jon," Jay stated. "He's pretty intense."

I asked Jay if he possessed his brother's notorious habit of being the first one in, last one to leave... practically sleeping at the Bucs training facility.

"I didn't really have to do that. When I first got there, I really didn't know anything. My job was mainly to try to learn what was going on, to be a fly on the wall if you may, for the first couple of months. The toughest part on me, was, that I had to learn from scratch. I had to learn on the run, and it was tough. But, as far as going in at 4 am to midnight, I didn't really have to do that, I was out of (the facility) every night at 8 or 9 o'clock so I was able to get some rest," Gruden said, trying to make a 16 hour day seem not so exhausting.

Would working those long days in the off-season come back to fatigue Jay as the season drags on?

"I don't think so," Jay replied. " My responsibility with the Bucs wasn't as quite as heavy duty as some of the other coaches. Actually, this is more of a break for me, playing Arena Football. I'm able to get more sleep and spend more time with the family, so I don't think fatigue will be a factor at all."

Plus, he was able to hone his skills with some of the best in the business.

"I got to throw everyday in practice," Gruden said. "I was throwing to Keyshawn (Johnson), (Keenan) McCardell and (Joe) Jurevicus; probably about 15 minutes a day, and that helps you. You've got to throw the ball on the money to those guys," he says with a chuckle. "Or they're gonna give you a dirty look or make fun of you."

After throwing for six touchdowns in a 47-35 victory over Chicago on the road, Gruden is looking forward to coming home to Orlando and playing in "The Jungle"; a place he likened to his brother's old stomping grounds, Oakland's "Black Hole".

"When I played for the Storm, these guys were brutal down here. They would throw batteries and all that stuff. We had a couple of incidents where the players went into the stands and the security guards had to come and break it up... it was pretty rough in the early years," Gruden divulged. "It's kind of calmed down a little bit now, but still, our fans are very loud and very much into game and they don't like to lose. If we don't play well they boo us, and when we play good, they get on the other team. Hard."

After such a stellar and decorated career, what keeps Gruden motivated, you may ask?

"Well I just love to play. I enjoy the competition," Gruden admitted. "I like getting back there under center and calling plays, and trying to make them work. Getting the ball in the end zone is fun for me to do."

Plus there's always incentive of adding some more rings to his collection.

"Obviously the goal here is to win a championship. You can never win too many of those. Everyone comes in here at the beginning of the season with a common goal and that's to win a championship."

Gruden also takes satisfaction from the fact that he played such a large part in helping the league evolve, from what some people thought was just a novelty, to being on the verge of becoming the country's fifth major sport. His enthusiasm for the future of the Arena Football League, and their partnership with NBC is evident when asked about it.

"It's very exciting," Gruden acknowledged. "Back in 1991, when I first got the job, it was 500 bucks a game, and we just played because we had fun doing it. But I always thought this thing had a chance to be something special. I never thought it would take over the NFL, but I knew there was a place for it."

Tell us what you thought about this story.