Cal quarterback Jared Goff was under Jon Gruden’s microscope for Gruden’s Quarterback Camp last month, where the former NFL coach was able to inspect all things about Goff.
ESPN’s Tory Zawacki dove inside the segment between Gruden and Goff, and came away with some interesting notes.
“I want to learn as much as I can and I am excited to pick Coach Gruden’s brain, be in the same room with him and break down film with him,” Goff said prior to meeting Gruden, an ESPN analyst, on March 3. “He’ll give me a hard time, probably, about some stuff. I mean, he’s always got something up his sleeve.”
Gruden quickly pointed out Goff lip-synching while warming up before the Golden Bears’ game against USC on October 31. Goff said his pregame music “includes a nice little mixture. Probably a little Counting Crows, maybe some Avicii. Taylor Swift.”
Goff acknowledging he listens to Swift might come off as a surprise for some, considering many people like to frame football players as a bunch of tough guys, and insinuate that listening to an artist like Swift would make them less of a man. But anybody can enjoy some Taylor Swift. We know Clayton Kershaw and Kevin Durant do, and those guys are near the top of their respective sports.
“It’s like a guilty-pleasure thing. Taylor Swift is cool. And I like her music. She’s a great performer, and she’s fun to listen to at times,” Goff said.
He also mentioned that his favorite song of her’s is “Bad Blood.” Of course, Goff was still shy about the whole thing, and added, “But I’m going to have to get a little manly and say the version with Kendrick Lamar.”
Gruden was impressed with Goff, particularly his “brain power, [and] his football intelligence.” But his taste in music, not so much.
“That is one thing I don’t like about Goff,” Gruden added quickly, with a look of mock disgust, “I do not like the music selection of young America. I’m a classic rock guy. I’m trying to infiltrate all these young men with my taste. I never heard of some of the groups he even talked about. I can’t imagine listening to them before they play USC.”
Goff is also hopeful that he could possibly have Swift slide up in his DMs after she hears about his fandom. “And maybe I’ll get a direct message from Taylor after all of this comes out,” he said. Good luck with that, Jared.
[ESPN]
