Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller emerged as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing 2019 NFL season, the team’s final in Oakland.
Waller needed some time to find his footing following his arrival in Oakland prior to the 2018 campaign. Fortunately, head coach Jon Gruden’s foresight ultimately paid off with a breakout year that saw him haul in 90 receptions for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns.
The former sixth-round pick clearly made quite the impression on Gruden throughout the process. So much so, that he found himself with a new nickname nearly every week.
Waller says Gruden has a habit of coming up with names for every player on the team, viaNBC Sports:
“I think he has a new nickname for me every week,” Waller said. “It’ll be ‘Big Drink’ one week, it’ll be ‘The Wall-Eye’ one week, it’ll be ‘Wally Baby’ the next week and he just always hits people with random nicknames, cracking jokes on guys in the media room. Yeah, Gruden is a very interesting man.”
Waller’s comments are indicative of just how strongly Gruden feels about his prized pickup. After all, the 27-year-old has certainly come a long way since his days as a practice squad player that was dealing with off-field issues.
Fortunately, the change-of-scenery has paid huge dividends for Waller’s career after establishing himself as the No. 1 option in the Raiders’ passing games. As a result, Gruden made sure that he sticks around for the long haul after signing him to a three-year contract extension to keep him through the 2023 season.
Gruden has ushered in some significant changes to the roster since his arrival in an effort to build a strong locker room culture. It is clear that he has garnered the respect of players like Waller that have managed to thrive when presented with the right opportunity.
