Former Patriot criticizes NFL statement on his discrimination case

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When former New England Patriots draft pick Eugene Chung interviewed for a coaching job earlier this offseason, he alleges that he was told that he's "not the right minority."

Earlier this month, the NFL said that it was unable to verify Chung's claims, which initially came to light in May in a story by Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe.

Chung, who is Asian American, told Tim McManus of ESPN that the NFL's statement into its review of his claims was "a little misleading."

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"Nonetheless, we intend to use this occasion to reinforce the commitment of the NFL and of every NFL club to ensure appropriate interview processes and develop diverse, inclusive, and respectful workforces on and off the field," the statement read. "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 countered that he has had just one "very brief conversation" with the NFL. He has not identified which organization made the alleged comments, telling McManus "I'm not interested in outing anybody. I think that's insignificant and irrelevant to what's going on at hand right now."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has declined to meet with Chung, he told McManus.

Chung, an offensive lineman, was drafted 13th overall by the Patriots in 1992, appearing in 34 games over parts of three seasons with the franchise. He went on to play 11 games with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995 and 10 more with the Indianapolis Colts in 1997 before joining the Philadelphia Eagles as an assistant offensive line coach in 2010.

Chung, who has also spent time on the staff of the Kansas City Chiefs, has not coached in the NFL since 2019, when his contract expired after a second stint with the Eagles.

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