Shortly after concluding their 2022 NFL Draft, the Bears held a press conference, where national scout Chris Prescott had this to say about second-round safety Jaquan Brisker of Penn State.
Prescott has since been relieved of his duties (this may have been his final draft anyway with a new coaching staff and general manager in place), according to Neil Stratton of Inside The League. It also seems video of Prescott’s post-draft press conference has been scrubbed from the Bears’ website.
Backlash to Prescott’s remarks was swift, earning harsh rebukes from media talking heads such as ESPN’s Mina Kimes, who weighed in on the controversy during her appearance Monday on NFL Live.
“If that’s what they’re saying in public, what is being said behind closed doors?” asked Kimes. “It’s amazing that Brisker has overcome adversity and should be championed, but to reduce his story to a draft attribute like a 40 time is to reduce who he is as a human being. This is something I think we’ve all been complicit in, including the media, in our word choice, the presentation of stories. But it’s 2022 and by now, we should really all know better.”
Kimes speaks to the dehumanizing pre-draft process, putting NFL hopefuls through a grueling three-month war of attrition, from the Senior Bowl to Pro Day workouts and, of course, the meatgrinder that is the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. From grilling players in their Combine interviews to barely lifting a finger to help David Ojabo after tearing his Achilles at his Michigan Pro Day, NFL scouts are a notoriously cutthroat breed, muddying the waters with lazy critiques rife with racial biases and tired stereotypes.
Black players and coaches over the years have received an unusual level of scrutiny relative to their white peers, a product of the NFL’s prevailing “old boys club” mentality. This disparity was recently brought to light by Brian Flores, who, along with former Cardinals coach Steve Wilks and veteran defensive coordinator Ray Horton, is bringing a class-action lawsuit against the league for racial discrimination and unfair hiring practices.
Making mountains out of molehills comes with the territory in NFL scouting circles. Just ask Giants first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, who fought tooth and nail to dispel the perception that he didn’t love football or have a strong enough “motor” to compete at the next level. Lamar Jackson was burdened with a similar narrative four years ago (not convinced of his passing ability, Bill Polian suggested he switch to another position), and, unfortunately, it doesn’t appear much has changed since then with Brisker, on what should have been the night of his life, reduced to a humiliating stereotype by his own team.
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