TAMPA, Fla. — Jon Gruden is in the Bucs' Ring of Honor, his statue is in the lobby of the team's training facility and his legacy is a Super Bowl 37 victory over the Raiders franchise he coaches now.
So there are a lot of storylines involving "Chucky" to dive into prior to the Bucs' Sunday Night Football game in Las Vegas.
"I'm just concentrating on this game, honestly," Gruden said. "It's a great opportunity for both teams to try to get another win. I try not to get too deep, too philosophical. I had a great time in Tampa. A lot of my best friends are still there and live there, so I'm looking forward to competing.
"I don't know about all that. A lot of water under the bridge. I'm a lot older now. I just look forward to try to get our fourth win."
That's right, the Grudens never moved from Tampa. So he's well aware of the excitement in this area surrounding the arrival of Tom Brady and the league's No. 1 defense.
Gruden's record is strikingly similar with both franchises. He was 57-55 during the regular season in Tampa Bay and is 52-49 with the Raiders.
Gruden's last season with the Bucs was 2008, and his second stint with the Raiders began in 2018. In between, he was the broadcast star of Monday Night Football.
He did return to Raymond James Stadium in 2017 when he was inducted into the Bucs' Ring of Honor.
"Well, that makes me deep and tearful, really emotional," Gruden said. "That was a great night in my life. To share it with some of my former team and coaches was special. That's what coaching is all about. You want to help players improve, on and off the field. Ultimately, you want to help them win. But that had a lot to do with it. That certainly was a springboard for me in terms of how much I missed it."
