Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden has apologized after a 2011 email was exposed of the head using a racial trope to describe the NFL Players Association's Executive Director, DeMaurice Smith.

In the email that was sent to the president of the Washington Football Team (then known as the Washington Redskins) as the NFL was resolving its lockout, Gruden used racially insensitive language while poking fun at Smith's name and lips.

"Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin tires," Gruden wrote in the email.

After the email was exposed by The Wall Street Journal on Friday, Gruden claimed he didn't remember the email but took accountability for his actions. He apologized for the email and acknowledged that he likely viewed Smith as the villain during the NFL's lockout.

"I really don't remember exactly this email -- it was a long time ago," Gruden wrote in an email. "I certainly will take accountability for it if it's on my email. I do know this, at that point of my life, 11 years ago or 10 years ago, I am sure I vented a little bit with my friends about certain things. I know at that time the Collective Bargaining Agreement was changing, there was a lockout going on or the threat of a lockout, if I can remember. I probably looked De as the villain. And I was really upset."

Gruden also said he felt Smith was lying about the details of negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Association and claimed he refers to liars as "rubber lips." Despite the explanation, he admitted that comparing Smith's lips to Michelin tires was too far.

"I didn't feel like we were getting the truth," Gruden added. "I refer to guys when I see them lying -- and I can tell they're lying -- I refer to them as 'rubber lips.' I went too far calling him the Michelin lips. I never had a blade of racism in me. I was just pissed and used a terrible way to insult a guy."

The email was discovered during the NFL's investigation of workplace misconduct with the Washington Football team. Gruden, who was ESPN's lead analyst for Monday Night Football when he sent the email, said he warned his players about the email Friday morning. According to The Wall Street Journal, the NFL reviewed 650,000 emails and sent pertinent emails to the Raiders for review. 

Gruden said he has spoken to Raiders owner Mark Davis but does not know if he'll face any punishment from the team or league. He also stated that he reached out to Smith but has not heard back yet. Smith spoke with The Wall Street Journal about the email and admitted it's not his first time encountering racism.

"This is not the first racist comment that I've heard and it probably will not be the last," Smith responded. "This is a thick skin job for someone with dark skin, just like it always has been for many people who look like me and work in corporate America. You know people are sometimes saying things behind your back that are racist just like you see people talk and write about you using thinly coded and racist language. Racism like this comes from the fact that I'm at the same table as they are and they don't think someone who looks like me belongs. I'm sorry my family has to see something like this but I would rather they know. I will not let it define me."

Look above to view Jon Gruden's apology.

Source: The Wall Street Journal