Eugene Chung Calls NFL Statement On His Discrimination Claim ‘A Little Misleading’

Former NFL offensive lineman and assistant coach Eugene Chung called the NFL’s statement on his claim a “little misleading.”

Chung, who is Asian American, said that in May, interviewing for a job with an NFL team was told he “wasn’t the right minority.” Since then, the NFL has looked into the matter and released a statement in July, saying it was “unable to confirm the precise statement that was made or by whom, and under what circumstances, any such statement was made.”

“Nonetheless, we intend to use this occasion to reinforce the commitment of the NFL and every NFL club to ensure appropriate interview processes and develop diverse, inclusive, and respectful workforces on and off the field. Mr. Chung has offered to assist us moving forward, and we welcome the opportunity to speak with him about how we can better advance employment opportunities through the League.”

Chung responded to the league’s statement saying that he had only one short, “almost perfunctory” conversation with the NFL back in May and that “every single” coach and personnel executive he has reached out to regarding this matter has said they hadn’t been contacted by the NFL during its review process. The former assistant coach then said that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has declined to meet with him to this point despite a request from Chung’s representation.

Chung has not identified the coach who made the alleged comments or the organization that interviewed him. “I’m not interested in outing anybody,” Chung said. “I think that’s insignificant and irrelevant to what’s going on at hand right now. I want nothing but the best for everybody. I don’t want anyone to ever have to experience [what I’ve experienced] or go through that. A simple conversation to fix that, I think that’d be great.”

The NFL responded to Chung’s claim. “We embrace the opportunity to work with Eugene to hear his ideas on how we can better advance employment opportunities throughout the League, both for Asian-Americans and for all underrepresented groups,” Brian McCarthy, NFL vice president of communications, said Monday. “As we have made him aware, we welcome meeting with him, and have at no time turned down requests to discuss these important issues with our staff, including the Commissioner.”