Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden sent an email with racially insensitive language about NFL Players Association president DeMaurice Smith in 2011, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The email, sent to the president of the Washington Football Team, said that Smith had "lips the size of michellin tires," the Journal reported, saying it has reviewed the email.
Asked about the email by the Journal, Gruden said he didn't specifically recall writing it, but apologized.
"I'm really sorry," he said, according to the Journal.
Gruden told the Journal he has used the term "rubber lips" to refer to people he thought were lying, and said: "I was upset.