Jon Gruden has a way with words.
Gruden was appearing on a live stream in Chicago for “Thursday Night Football” as part of his new job with Barstool Sports and told a whopper of a story about former Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski apparently making a long field goal in New Orleans when he was still half in the bag.
Gruden was reminded of this occasion when popular Barstool host Dan Katz mentioned that one of their content creators missed part of his work responsibilities this past Sunday because “he was a little banged up.”
“We were playing, when I was with the Raiders, we drafted Janikowski in the first round,” Gruden said.
“Janikowski, he was missing field goals the first three games and I was really pissed. So we went to play the Saints in New Orleans and Janikowski’s late for curfew. He didn’t get back until 3 am, so now I’m really pissed. He can’t make field goals, and he can’t make curfew.”
The game in question was a Week 12 matchup in 2000, which the Raiders won 31-22, and Gruden was reminiscing about a possession in the first quarter.
“We get a couple [of] first downs, and it’s a 56- or 58-yard field goal. I go, ‘Field goal!’” Gruden continued (Pro Football Reference pegs the distance at 49 yards).
Warning: Graphic language
“So Bob Casullo, the special teams coach, he says, ‘Are you out of your f–king mind? He’s drunk! He can’t make it!’ I go, ‘Field goal!’
“I actually wanted him to miss. He hit it right down the middle and I meet him [and say], ‘Great f–king kick! Loved it, brother. As long as you can kick!’”
A request for comment from Janikowski’s agent was not returned at time of publishing.
The longtime kicker’s issues with alcohol were well documented through his career, including arrests for DUI and a bar fight among them.
The Raiders went 12-4 that season and lost to the Ravens in the AFC championship game.
The “Polish Cannon” played in the NFL for 17 seasons, amassing 1,913 points — good for 12th-best all-time in league history.