Jon Gruden Reveals Odd Way Raiders Drafted Maxx Crosby

Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden has revealed an incredibly odd and hilarious story about how the team drafted Maxx Crosby.

Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Las Vegas won 26-17. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders took defensive end Maxx Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, which has proven to be one of the best decisions the franchise has made in recent memory.

Crosby has established himself as one of the best pass rushers in football and has now made four straight Pro Bowl appearances.

At the time, Jon Gruden was the Raiders' head coach, and he played a pivotal role in Las Vegas deciding to select Crosby.

And apparently, so did his bus driver.

In a post on his X account, Gruden told the story of how the Raiders selected Crosby, and he revealed that his bus driver, Jeff Leonardo, was in his ear constantly telling him about the Eastern Michigan product.

“I have an assistant named Jeff Leonardo. I swear to God, Jeff has been with me, he drove the bus on Monday Night Football. Jeff is the only guy I know that watches Mid America Conference football games on Tuesday. [He] never says a word. All he does is drive me to and from work. [Jeff] walks in one day and goes, ‘There’s a son of a (expletive) at Eastern Michigan. His name’s Maxx Crosby.’"

The story of how Maxx Crosby became a Raider

Forever grateful to my man Jeff Leonardo pic.twitter.com/aOURSRN8G8

— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) February 6, 2025

Gruden went on to say that Leonardo bugged him about Crosby for six months, and ultimately, Las Vas ended up taking him.

It didn't take Crosby long to establish himself as a superstar, as he rattled off 47 tackles, 10 sacks and four forced fumbles during his rookie campaign.

Overall, the 27-year-old has posted three double-digit sack seasons, topping out at 14.5 sacks in 2023. He also appeared to be on track for another double-figure sack year this past season, but injuries limited him to 12 games. He finished with 7.5 sacks.

Crosby absolutely seems to embrace being a Raider, and he is under contract through 2026.

There has been some trade speculation surrounding the Colleyville, Tx. native, but the chances of Las Vegas actually moving him seem slim to none.

What the Raiders do need, though, is to add another pass rusher to provide him with some help on the edge.

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