It started like any other Tuesday afternoon—until Jon Gruden picked up a mystery box with a Power T logo slapped across the front and his eyes lit up like Neyland Stadium under the lights. The former Super Bowl-winning head coach turned football analyst has never been shy about his affection for college football, and particularly for the Tennessee Volunteers. But what came next might go down as one of the most unexpected, hilarious, and heartfelt unboxings in sports entertainment history.
Gruden, who once famously told ESPN that he’d crawl “through broken glass” to coach the Vols if the opportunity ever came up, now finds himself at the center of the most orange-and-white unboxing video the internet has ever seen. In a video that has since gone viral, the fiery coach tears into a surprise swag box sent to him by Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel—and proceeds to deliver a spontaneous, full-throttle monologue dripping with nostalgia, passion, and an encyclopedic recall of Tennessee football legends.
“Alright baby, let’s see what we got here!” Gruden says, cracking open the massive box on his kitchen counter. First out of the box? A crisp, orange No. 16 jersey. “Boom! Peyton freaking Manning,” he shouts with glee. “This guy right here? One of the greatest to ever do it. Cerebral assassin. I used to steal plays from this guy’s college tape. Are you kidding me? When I see this jersey, I smell greatness and Velveeta.”
Before anyone can catch their breath, Gruden yanks out a vintage pair of checkerboard Nike cleats, modeled after the ones worn by Peerless Price. “Peerless, man—he wasn’t just a name, he was a prophecy. That 1998 championship team? I swear they’d have beaten half the teams in the NFL that year,” he says, holding the cleats over his head like Simba in The Lion King.
Heupel’s package doesn’t stop there. As Gruden sifts through the mountain of Volunteer memorabilia—limited-edition hats, Smokey the Dog bobbleheads, a miniature replica of the Vol Navy, even a box of Moon Pies with custom UT wrappers—he’s clearly overwhelmed in the best way possible. And like a man possessed, he starts name-dropping Tennessee icons with the kind of reverence usually reserved for Hall of Fame induction speeches.
“This hat right here, you see this?” he asks, flipping a camo Tennessee ball cap onto his head. “This is Al Wilson toughness. This is the kind of hat you wear when you’re staring down Florida’s offensive line in ’98 and saying, ‘Let’s dance.’ You think I don’t remember what Leonard Little did to quarterbacks back then? Please. That guy lived in backfields like he was paying rent.”
From there, Gruden’s soliloquy only intensifies. He rifles through the gear, pulling out a signed photo of Reggie White—“The Minister of Defense, baby! Reggie White is what happens when God decides to play defensive end”—and a custom jersey with the name “Gruden” stitched on the back. “I’m not worthy, Coach Heupel. I’m not worthy! You’re feeding a monster here. I haven’t wanted to run through a brick wall this bad since I was watching Jamal Lewis hurdle people in ’97.”
Heupel, who masterminded Tennessee’s resurgence back to national prominence and engineered the most electric offense in the country, clearly knew what he was doing. The gift wasn’t just swag—it was a time capsule. It was a memory machine. It was a challenge to remember the legends and light the fire again.
Gruden, who once served as a graduate assistant under Johnny Majors, didn’t let the moment pass without tipping his visor. “Johnny Majors, man, rest in peace,” he said, pausing. “That guy bled orange. He taught me what it means to grind. What it means to build something. And now, Josh Heupel is doing the same damn thing. You hear me? Tennessee is back. This ain’t no fluke.”
As the video went on, Gruden transitioned from head coach to hype man. He pulled out a replica mini helmet signed by Hendon Hooker and went on a three-minute monologue about his poise, accuracy, and toughness. “Hendon Hooker doesn’t flinch, man. That Alabama game? My God. That was the single greatest performance by a Tennessee quarterback since Tee Martin lit it up in ’98. And Tee? Don’t even get me started—ice water in his veins.”
The fanfare didn’t stop with the stars of yesteryear. Gruden shouted out everyone from Jason Witten—“guy’s got hands like glue and a jawline like a gladiator”—to Eric Berry—“played with fire and faith, and hit like a freight train.” He mentioned Carl Pickens, Dale Carter, Jamal Lewis, Alvin Kamara, and even Cordarrelle Patterson—“You ever seen a more dangerous return man? I haven’t. The guy makes the field look like a trampoline park.”
Gruden even dropped a nod to recent big man Darnell Wright: “That kid’s a boulder with feet. I watched him stonewall SEC edge rushers like they were middle schoolers. Tennessee’s been churning out monsters lately.”
The moment that broke the internet, though, came when Gruden pulled out a massive, custom Tennessee bathrobe—bright orange with the Power T stitched across the back and “Chucky” embroidered on the chest. He put it on instantly, sunglasses still on, and flexed in front of the camera.
“You’re not ready for this smoke,” he barked, laughing. “You think Kirby Smart’s got swagger? You think Saban walks around in gear like this? No way. This is Rocky Top, baby! This is where football lives.”
While Gruden’s delivery leaned toward the theatrical, there was no doubting the genuine love in his voice. Heupel’s swag box might have been a PR move, a fan engagement play, or just a friendly gesture—but Gruden turned it into a full-blown love letter to Tennessee football. He reminded fans why the Vols matter, why tradition counts, and why Saturdays on the Hill are unlike anything else in America.
And just when you thought he was winding down, Gruden capped it all off by holding up a Tennessee-branded football and channeling his inner Vol.
“This ball right here?” he said. “This ball is for Condredge Holloway. For Bobby Majors. For Travis Henry and Arian Foster. For Justin Hunter and Jauan Jennings. For guys who built this thing brick by brick. And you know what? Josh Heupel is laying down new bricks every damn day. You better believe that.”
Then, with the ball clutched in one hand and a Moon Pie in the other, Gruden looked directly into the camera and bellowed, “IT’S FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!”
There wasn’t a dry eye or an unsent tweet in Knoxville. The video exploded across social media. Alumni, former players, and fans flooded the comments with orange hearts, Rocky Top lyrics, and calls to make Gruden the official mascot of the Volunteer spirit. Some even joked that the university should give him an honorary degree in “Tennessee Football Evangelism.”
It was more than just a viral moment. It was a celebration of everything Tennessee fans cherish: the legends who paved the way, the grit that defines them, and the passion that never fades—no matter the record, the year, or the coach on the sidelines.
As for Jon Gruden? Don’t be surprised if he shows up on the Vol Walk this fall, wearing that orange robe, handing out Moon Pies, and yelling about Al Wilson’s toughness to anybody within earshot.
