Former NFL Player and coach Eugene Chung were told he was not the “right minority” during a job interview.
What We Know:
- The NFL announced Monday that it would investigate allegations from the Korean-American coach. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy has stated they would “review” the incident and goes on to say the comment was “inappropriate” and “contrary to league values.”
- The 51-years-old coach has declined to name the team he applied for. Allegedly, Chung’s interviewer initially claimed that he wasn’t a minority. The interviewer clarified afterward that Chung wasn’t the “right minority.” Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA) called for the NFL to review the team. FPA is a foundation committed to equal opportunity in the NFL.
- His NFL history begins in the 1992 NFL Draft, where he was a first-round draft pick. He spent eight years in the league playing for New England, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Philadelphia.
- Chung was the third Asian and second Korean-American to play in the NFL. After playing in the NFL, he became an assistant offensive line coach for the Eagles from 2010 to 2012. Afterward, Chung coached for the Chiefs from 2013 to 2015 before returning to the Eagles the following year. Chung informed the Globe that the interviewer’s comments “underscore a bigger issue that oftentimes Asian-Americans aren’t viewed as a minority.”
Despite this instance, Chung admits that many of the coaches in the NFL are accepting.
