Dez Bryant
Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland apologized Tuesday for using ``poor judgment'' during his line of questioning in an interview with an NFL prospect leading up to this weekend's draft.
The apology comes in the wake of a report on Yahoo! Sports that cited Ireland as asking Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant if his mother was a prostitute.
Bryant's background and his mother's lifestyles have been highly scrutinized by many NFL teams over the last several months, but Bryant said in the Yahoo! Sports article that Miami took the interview process to a different level as a result of the one question.
``I got mad -- really mad -- but I didn't show it,'' Bryant told the website.
Less than five hours after the story first appeared on the website, Ireland issued a statement that he apologized to Bryant by phone Tuesday as a result.
``My job is to find out as much information as possible about a player that I'm consider drafting,'' Ireland said. ``Sometimes that leads to asking in-depth questions.
``Having said that, I talked to Dez Bryant and told him I used poor judgment in one of the questions I asked him. I certainly meant no disrespect and apologized to him.
``I appreciate his acceptance of that apology and I told him I wished him well as he embarks on his NFL career.''
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello did not issue any elaborate response on the matter, writing in an e-mail that ``we are aware that Jeff called Dez Bryant and apologized.''
Asked if the matter is closed, or whether it will be investigated with more depth, Aiello wrote, ``I have nothing further to add.''
Ireland, entering his third year as Miami's general manager, works in conjunction with vice president of football operations Bill Parcells while preparing for the NFL Draft.
During the draft process, prospects undergo an intense evaluation by most teams that includes criminal background checks, thorough investigations into their past and multiple one-on-one interviews with the players.
Teams are allowed to bring 30 prospects to their headquarters for predraft visits. Bryant met with the Dolphins at their Davie facility at the beginning of April, which is when the interview with Ireland took place.
The same article on Yahoo! Sports' website also cites several situations when other NFL teams have asked potentially insulting questions, bringing into question whether the league's predraft analysis of players has gone too far.
Three examples, aside from Ireland's question to Bryant, are given:
• Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was asked during an interview with another NFL team at the Scouting Combine whether he plays in a G-string or a jock strap.
• Florida State safety Myron Rolle, who didn't play football at Florida State during his senior season to instead accept a Rhodes Scholarship, was asked by the Tampa Bay Bucs what it felt like to ``desert his team.''
• Running back Toby Gerhart was reportedly asked if being a white running back made him feel ``entitled.''
Bryant was the 24th selection of this year's NFL Draft. The Dolphins, who were initially scheduled to pick at No. 12, traded down and picked defensive end Jared Odrick with the 28th overall pick
Source: Miami Herald
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