Jon Gruden Speaks at Trump Rally in Ohio to Support Jon Husted

<p>Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden spoke at President Donald Trump's rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday, urging voters to support Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH).</p> <p>Gruden, who was born in Sandusky and played quarterback at the University of Dayton, stated that his home state was the reason for his appearance. </p> <p>“I came back for one reason,” Gruden said. “I’m from Ohio. My mom and dad are from Cleveland. I was born in Sandusky and I went to the University of Dayton and I’m damn proud of it, man!”</p> <p>Gruden won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played alongside Husted on Dayton’s 1985 team. He described Husted as a skilled defender, noting, “He intercepted 17 passes on the gridiron,” and praised his work ethic, stating, “He will never quit on you or anybody.”</p> <p>Gruden encouraged voter turnout, saying, “Early voting starts Tuesday. Get your friends and get their friends and their friends and let’s get Husted back in action!”</p> <p>Trump, who has played golf with Gruden, referred to him as “one of my favorite coaches in the whole world” and “a winner.” He remarked that he was unaware of Husted’s football background until Gruden mentioned it, saying, “Nobody told me you were a great athlete.”</p> <p>This rally was part of Trump’s pre-midterm tour, which included stops in Oklahoma and Alabama earlier that week. Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy also spoke at the event, where he is competing against Democrat Amy Acton, Ohio’s former health director.</p> <p>Husted was appointed in January 2025 to the seat left vacant by Vice President JD Vance. He is currently in a close special election against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost Ohio’s other Senate seat to Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024. Brown’s campaign utilized a mobile billboard in Dayton on Saturday, attributing higher gas prices to Husted amid the Iran war.</p> <p>Gruden's appearance marked a rare involvement in electoral politics since he resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in October 2021 following the release of emails containing non-politically correct language. He later filed a lawsuit against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, claiming the league leaked the messages to force his resignation. The NFL denies these allegations, and a jury trial is scheduled for May 2027 in Las Vegas.</p>