Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss delivered an impassioned rant Sunday in response to the ongoing situation involving Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported on an 2011 email penned by Gruden in which he used racist language to describe the head of the NFLPA DeMaurice Smith. In a message to former Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen, Gruden wrote: “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michelin tires.”
While discussing the controversy on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, Moss blasted Gruden over his comments, calling for a firm response from the Raiders and the league.
“We’re going into the 21st century, OK?” Moss said. “And instead of us moving forward, we’re moving backward. And I really don’t know what percentage of the National Football League is Black but I know it’s over 50 percent, 60-70 percent. And I know we generate a whole lotta money for this National Football League and for you to hear Adam Schefter talk about some discipline from [Raiders Owner Mark] Davis, the clock is ticking! We are watching to see what the National Football League is going to do!”
Later in the segment, Moss got emotional while going deeper on his personal feelings on the matter.
“I speak about the game of football,” he explained. “I fell in love with the game of football at six years old, and I get emotional talking about it because of situations like this. My civil rights were taken — were kind of messed with in high school, over the color of my skin. And now being able to play 14 years in the National Football League, to have something like this of a leader — we talk about leadership, we give guys these big contracts because they want to be able to lead 70 men, coaches, equipment staff and managers, to the number one goal, and that’s to win a championship. And for us to be moving back and not forward in the 21st century like I said, man. National Football League, this hurts me. The clock is ticking, man. I’m sorry.”
Scroll down to see fan reactions to Randy Moss’ response to the Jon Gruden fallout.
