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Former NFL coach Jon Gruden joined Jon Husted on stage at a campaign rally in Vandalia. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF
Former NFL and Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden gave his support to U.S. Sen. Jon Husted Saturday, Oct. 3, during a surprise visit at the President Donald Trump campaign rally.
Before he ended his speech, Husted introduced Gruden, a former University of Dayton football quarterback and coach of the Super Bowl winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders.
Husted and Gruden played on the same UD team in 1985.
After a large roar from the crowd, Gruden said it was an honor for him to throw his support for Husted.
“He will never quit, ever, on you or anybody,” Gruden said of Husted.
Gruden resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 after making racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments in emails reported by the New York Times.
Husted is running against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
During his speech, Husted asked the crowd, “what do you believe in, and are you willing to fight for it? What do you believe in and are willing to fight for? I’ll tell you what I believe in. I believe in hard work, personal responsibility, family, faith, freedom and patience because of you.”
Husted said people need to love our county and be willing to sacrifice for it.
“If we teach our children not to love our country, then they won’t be willing to sacrifice for it. They won’t be willing to serve in our armed forces,” he said.
Husted said many of his fellow UD students left the state after college but he chose to stay. “I said no, I love my state. I love my community. I’m going to stay and fight for it.”
He said when Republicans took over the state, it became a better place to do business.
“We fought and we fought, and we cut taxes and we made it a better business environment, and we went from the 34th worst state in the country to do business to recently we were rated the number one state,” Husted said.
Husted said he had recently spoken to several families who had family members killed by illegal aliens who were driving on the road.
“One of them got a driver’s license from a sanctuary state, and I met this gentleman’s neighbor last night. And that family is struggling.” Husted then asked why Democrats care so much about illegal aliens.
“Why is it Democrats always care more about people who are illegally in this country than you, the taxpayers?”
Dayton Daily News coverage
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