Jon Gruden Gets Himself Into An “Absolute Pretzel” During National Anthem At Navy Game [VIDEO]

October 12, 2026, 8:42pm EST  • By Lou Flavius

He has never been this unsure of himself.

Jon Gruden spent a day at the U.S. Naval Academy for the first time in his life.

Click for sound 0:00 / 0:00 And it probably did not go as smoothly as he’d hoped.

The former NFL coach posted the video to his YouTube channel on Monday, titled “My First Time At The U.S. Naval Academy!” The description says he toured The Yard, met the Superintendent, and watched a football game.

One moment from the trip is already going viral on X. One user posted an eight-second clip of Gruden, unsure what to do during the national anthem at said game.

“Gruden was in an absolute pretzel on what to do during the anthem at Navy,” they wrote.

Anthem etiquette also made headlines in September after cameras caught ESPN analyst Desmond Howard laughing during a rendition before the Texas-Tennessee game.

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The video shows a man in a blue polo with a lapel microphone on the sideline. Malasek’s post says he is Gruden. Officers in green and dark uniforms salute beside him. The man shifts his hand between his chest and a salute. He then settles with it over his heart.

According to the U.S. Code, people in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem. Service members and veterans out of uniform may salute the same way. Everyone else should face the flag and stand at attention with a hand over the heart.

The clip ends with Gruden’s hand over his heart, which fits the guidance for civilians.

Navy’s most recent home game came Oct. 10, a 34-26 win over Tulsa. Navy trailed 26-14 early in the third quarter and scored the final 20 points.

The visit continues a college tour for Gruden. His Oklahoma episode, I Spent 48 Hours as an Oklahoma Sooner!, came out Aug. 29. The ex-Raiders HC joined Barstool Sports in November 2024 and seems to be having a lot of fun in his new social media space.