Your inbox approves Men's coaches poll Women's coaches poll Play to win 25K!
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers remove Jon Gruden from team's ring of honor after leaked emails

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are removing Jon Gruden from the team's ring of honor after the emergence of the former head coach's leaked emails that contained racist, homophobic and misogynistic language.

“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have advocated for purposeful change in the areas of race relations, gender equality, diversity and inclusion for many years," the Buccaneers said in a statement. "While we acknowledge Jon Gruden’s contributions on the field, his actions go against our core values as an organization. Therefore, he will no longer continue to be a member of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.” 

Gruden served as the Buccaneers' coach from 2002-08 and is the franchise's all-time leader in wins with 57. In his first season with the team, he led Tampa Bay to the organization's first ever Super Bowl title with a 48-21 win against the Oakland Raiders, the team he previously coached before joining the Buccaneers via a trade.

MORE:DeMaurice Smith opens up on Jon Gruden, racism in the NFL and more

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden on the field as the Buccaneers honor their 2002 Super Bowl winning team in 2012.

He was fired in January 2009 after the team lost its final four games and missed the playoffs at 9-7.

All things Buccaneers: Latest Tampa Bay Buccaneers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Gruden resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night after a New York Times story revealed that, in emails sent from 2011-18, he had used a homophobic slur to describe NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and ridiculed the NFL's hiring of female officials, among other remarks. Gruden also used a racist trope to describe NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Former Buccaneers general manager Bruce Allen was one of the figures with whom Gruden conversed in the emails.

Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.

Featured Weekly Ad