Eugene Chung Told he was The “Wrong Minority” During Interview

Eugene Chung, a former lineman, said he was turned down from an NFL coaching position for not being “the right minority”

Chung, who is of Korean descent, re-accounted the interview during a webinar hosted by The Boston Globe on Thursday.” It was said to me, ‘Well, you’re really not a minority,’” Chung recalled, according to The Globe. “I was like, ‘Wait a minute. The last time I checked, when I looked in the mirror and brushed my teeth, I was a minority.’”

Chung further questioned the interviewer on what they meant by saying “you’re really not a minority,” which the interviewer replied, “not the right minority that we’re looking for.”

“It was absolutely mind-blowing to me that, in 2021, something like that is actually a narrative,” Chung continued.

Who is Eugene Chung?

The New England Patriots drafted Chung in 1992 as an offensive lineman. Chung was also one of three Asian Americans to play in the NFL. He later became a coach for the Kanas City Chiefs and later helped the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. The same team that drafted Chung at the beginning of his NFL career. Chung is currently looking for employment as a coach since leaving the Eagles in 2019.

Chung stated in the interview that his experience within the NFL has been “positive”, but he questions the narrative the NFL is trying to push.

“I’m not sitting here bashing the league at all, because there are great mentors and there are great coaches that embrace the difference. It’s just when the Asians don’t fit the narrative, that’s where my stomach churns a little bit,” Chung explained his position in the Boston Globe interview.

Chung did not identify the interviewer or the team he applied for. The NFL has not released an official statement regarding Chung’s experience.

You can “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other great TGH writers along with Mike! 

“From Our Haus to Yours”