INDIANAPOLIS - One of the coaches who drew a large crowd Wednesday morning was Jon Gruden, who returned to coach the Raiders after being out of the game since 2008. The former "Monday Night Football" broadcaster for ESPN explained how excited he was to be back in Indianapolis.
"I sure have missed the Combine," he said before taking questions.
Gruden was entertaining during some of his exchanges, describing new-age analytics as "GPS" while conducting an audible inner dialogue trying to determine the proper way to pronounce the word "data."
He also talked about his travels as a color analyst and how he would pay specific attention to the way teams prepared. He mentioned being impressed with certain approaches and how he often asked questions in an effort to determine how teams did certain things.
When asked what he learned specifically from the Patriots during his broadcasting days Gruden was quite enthusiastic.
"I'm envious of the Patriots," he began. "The Patriots way - finding players who are versatile and find ways to win games. The way they can morph themselves into a two-back team or a five-wide receiver team with no backs depending on the situation. It's a pleasure to watch them adapt to new rules every week and every year and continue to excel."
