According to the father of Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden asked his son an inappropriate question when they talked on the phone during the 2021 NFL Draft process.
Per Holland’s dad, J. Robert Holland, Gruden and the Raiders were very interested in his son, and so much so that Las Vegas called him “every day for a week.”
However, during one of the phone calls, Holland’s dad revealed that Gruden asked his son an inappropriate question that led to Jevon hanging up on him. Here’s what he had to say on the DolphinsTalk.com podcast.
“Jon Gruden asked Jevon, ‘Hey, are you going to change your name to Malcolm X when you get into the league?’ And I jumped up, and then Jevon put his hand up and said, ‘No, I got this, Dad. And, listen, I use my platform to speak for those people who can’t speak, and I’m only speaking for good. And if I’m not the kind of guy who you perceive as speaking for good or doing something wrong, maybe I shouldn’t be part of your organization.’ And he hung up.”
Holland’s dad added that Jevon “had this sort of Colin Kaepernick tag” after he was a voice for change during his days at Oregon, which is likely what led to Gruden allegedly asking the question.
Later that year, Gruden ended up resigning after his e-mails surfaced showing the coach using derogatory language on multiple occasions. He has not gotten another job in the NFL since.