Chung wants Goodell to address antiAsian remark
Eugene Chung, the first Korean American selected in the first round of the NFL draft, entered the league as a trailblazer.
And he has been told by peers he remains a groundbreaker as he prepares to spend his second season out of the NFL.
Chung, 55, who spent 19 seasons in the league as an offensive tackle and assistant coach and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles after the 2017 season, is seeking a meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss an antiAsian sentiment that he said was expressed to him during a job interview this offseason.
Chung said in May he was told he “wasn’t the right minority” and on Monday, he termed the NFL’s statement after it reviewed his claim “a little misleading.”
The league responded July 1, saying it was unable to confirm such a statement was made to Chung while adding that 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 said Monday he received only one call from a league representative, and he termed that interaction “very brief ” and “almost perfunctory.”
Chung said he was told by a coach he considered a good friend during an interview that he wasn’t the “right minority” in the NFL’s estimation. Chung has declined to reveal the coach’s identity.
“I think pointing fingers or naming people or calling people out on this is completely irrelevant,” Chung said. “It’s
the fact that those words were actually said. They weren’t said in a derogatory way or to belittle me. It was told to me as a matteroffact statement, which is still very shocking to me to hear those words.
“I think the matter at hand is fixing those words and figuring out what they actually mean. Are Asians considering minorities? And are we considering minorities among that (NFL) pool of hiring? Those are the questions I have.”
Added Chung: “The only thing I request from this is to just have a sitdown with Mr. Goodell to have this same conversation in a more indepth setting.”
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy responded with a statement Monday: “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. 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. Asians/Pacific
Islanders are a minority under our diversity policy.”
Chung has said he h’s considered the backlash he could face for speaking out that could keep him out of the NFL. However, he has said the rise of hate crimes against Asian Americans this year is one reason he has decided to speak out. He has been encouraged by many players and coaches who have reached out in support. Among that group is Kansas City head coach Andy Reid, Chung’s boss from 2013 to 2015 when he was the Chiefs’ assistant offensive line coach.
“He told me, ‘You’re doing the right thing,’ ” Chung said. “You’re holding the torch for everybody else.”