Grumors absolutely went insane on Thursday after a Gruden interview in Seattle.
Gruden appeared on 710am ESPN in Seattle, WA in the 3rd hour of “Brock & Salk.”
The show is hosted by Brock Huard, former Washington Huskies QB and current ESPN college football game analyst, and Mike Salk, program director for the station.
The full interview was a normal conversation, as the guys were previewing the upcoming Monday Night Football game between the hometown Seattle Seahawks and visiting Atlanta Falcons.
Tennessee fans hit a fever pitch starting at 12:23 of the interview:
Salk: When do you get to Seattle?
Gruden: I get in Saturday and I can’t wait to get out there. Hope to see you guys. I hear Huard’s headed out to Knoxville and, uhh, just be singin that song. That’s a great song, Rocky Top.
Tennessee fans hit social media immediately.
Gruden dropping Rocky Top hints on Seattle radio??? pic.twitter.com/NTipgBlOQt
— Pablo Freshcobar (@TheVerboss) November 16, 2017
Jon Gruden is either really interested in the job or he’s the biggest troll of all time. t.co/exI2d0XIvA
— RockyTopTalk (@RockyTopTalk) November 16, 2017
Wait so Jon Gruden met with UT folks last night and then this morning he drops a Rocky Top on a Seattle radio show??? pic.twitter.com/J1eAaTpOLe
— Jackie Clowers (@jclowersVFL) November 16, 2017
I don’t check Twitter for 30 minutes and Gruden mentions rocky top on a Seattle radio station. This is unreal
— Gruden (@apate33) November 16, 2017
I️ just keep listening to that Seattle interview and I️ can’t fathom him bringing up Knoxville and Rocky Top unless he plans on taking this job man lol it’s driving me crazy
— HIRE JON GRUDEN (@Clay_Wilson14) November 17, 2017
Gruden brought up Tennessee because of Brock Huard.
Huard, as a mentioned above, is an ESPN College Football analyst.
Everybody knows Gruden’s connections to Tennessee:
- he previously worked as a Tennessee graduate assistant
- his wife, Cindy, is a former Tennessee cheerleader
- he has a son who is currently a student at UT
Brock Huard is working the LSU / Tennessee game in Knoxville this weekend.
Gruden brought up Rocky Top because of his connections there, and the fact that Huard will be in Knoxville.
Just because he loves the school, the song, and that area, it does NOT mean that he is taking the job.
So yes, him bringing up Knoxville and “Rocky Top” did make perfect sense yesterday.