NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says it found no evidence any team asked LSU running back Derrius Guice inappropriate questions during interviews at the scouting combine.
Last month, Guice, projected as a first-round selection, told SiriusXM Satellite Radio that one team asked if he was gay and another club asked if his mother “sells herself.”
League spokesman Brian McCarthy says Wednesday that “the league conducted a thorough investigation which included a formal review and report from every club that interviewed Mr. Guice during the combine, as well as discussions with Mr. Guice, his agent and others. The investigation did not confirm that any club made the reported inquiries.”
McCarthy added that the league “used this opportunity to reaffirm our workplace standards and emphasize the importance of fully complying with all requirements of federal and state law. The NFL and each of its member clubs remain fully committed to fair and non-discriminatory employment practices.”
Before each combine, where all 32 teams interview prospects, the league sends guidance to the clubs about specific language to be avoided in questioning. Among the regulations is a ban on such questions as whether the player likes men or women; is gay or straight; has any children or dependents and who has primary caretaking responsibilities; and whether or not he married his child’s mother.
Two years ago, an Atlanta Falcons assistant coach asked an inappropriate question to Ohio State’s Eli Apple, who eventually was drafted by the New York Giants. Falcons coach Dan Quinn apologized for the assistant’s question.
___
For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
