May 4, 2001

RAIDERS COACH JON GRUDEN AMONG PEOPLE’S "50 MOST BEAUTIFUL"

Oakland Raiders head coach JON GRUDEN has been named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World for 2001 in the People magazine issue hitting newsstands today.

"I am a little nervous and embarrassed by all this," says Gruden.

Accompanying his photos in the magazine, Gruden kiddingly describes himself as a "blond, blue-eyed, surfer-dude guy."

He also added that his youthful appearance has made coaching a bit more of a challenge. "When you look this young," he said, "you have to prove to players that you can help them."

Known as a tireless worker, the coach of the 2000 AFC Western Division champions admits in the magazine that "my lucky number is 317 and I don’t require a lot of sleep." The 317 represents 3:17 a.m. – the time Gruden wakes each day for a workout followed by quiet office time.

Gruden’s younger brother JAY, head coach of the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League, had a different take on the recognition. "I never thought he was a beautiful person when he was beating me up when we were little kids," says Jay.