Jon Gruden. Super Bowl Champ. King of "Spider 2y Banana." The strange love affair between Arkansas fans and the current Barstool personality has long been established, although it's more prevalent on the Razorback side of the relationship. But yesterday, Gruden returned a little affection.
This year, he began a video series unboxing various sports-related care packages. It's not only a way to showcase all the cool gear from each program, but Gruden uses it as an opportunity to discuss the team's history and the great athletes that played there. On Wednesday, he finally received a box from the Arkansas equipment team.
Jon Gruden unboxes Arkansas equipment care package
With his boisterous yet enigmatic personality, Gruden hopped between talking points while pulling out various pieces of Arkansas attire, ranging from shirts to sweaters, gloves, three helmets, and at least a dozen or so caps.
Gruden began his video talking about the one and only, Arkansas golfing legend, John Daly. While showing a large framed photo of the two, Gruden discussed their friendship and how he actually caddied for him once. He then talked about Frank Broyles, whom he holds as high as anyone in the upper echelon of football greats.
He named players stretching as far back as Lance Alworth and Billy Ray Smith to Darren McFadden and current quarterback Taylen Green. One fan even joked that Gruden did more marketing for the University of Arkansas than its current leadership has in three years.
Gruden just did more marketing for Arkansas in 3 minutes than Hunter and the Edge have done in 3 years https://t.co/hY4WvZdIH0
— WhiskeyDrunk (@notwhiskeydrunk) July 2, 2025
Jon Gruden's ties to Arkansas job and crazed fans
Since the infamous 2012 football following Bobby Petrino's ungraceful dismissal, Jon Gruden's name was heavily tied to the Arkansas job, and fans went berserk. One time, all he did was wear a red tie, and it stirred up a frenzy in the Natural State. Now, 13 years later, Arkansas fans are still clamoring in the mentions and quotes of the video post on X (formerly Twitter). In fact, it's been that way anytime he posts anything related to the Razorbacks.
Earlier in the week, Gruden met Green for the first time at the Manning Passing Academy and even took a picture with the Hogs' play-caller. In the comments, a fan's name popped up that some may remember from over a decade ago, or if they're super fans of the hit TV show America's Got Talent.
The fan is Tyler Davis, who, with the help of some friends, parodied the Beatles' hit song, "Hey, Jude," with unique lyrics and a title change to "Hey, Gurde," that was both hilarious and extremely well put together. Davis and his two friends ended up on America's Got Talent not long after as the group "Triple Threat," but fell short in the quarter-final round of the competition.
Years after his rise and fall, Davis is still lobbying for Gruden to become the next head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. "Come coach the Hogs, JG! Woo Pig," wrote Davis.
Davis was just one of many fans asking the former Raiders coach to come to Fayetteville. It's truly an outstanding barrage of people still wanting Gruden as the head coach of Arkansas so many years later, and after all the controversy that follows him. If Gruden keeps posting about Arkansas, or even vaguely mentions the Hogs, he may not be able to withstand the tidal wave of Razorback faithful begging for his arrival on the Hill.