Bears Scout Reportedly Fired For Disparaging Comments About Jaquan Brisker
The same night the Chicago Bears selected Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, team scout Chris Prescott made disparaging comments revolving around the Nittany Lion and his personal life.
When describing Brisker, Prescott called him “poor, hungry, and desperate,” per ESPN Bears reporter Courtney Cronin.
“He’s a — what would we call it? Ph.D.? Poor, hungry, and desperate,” Prescott said. “Football is his life. This is this kid’s life. There’s a lot to like about that when you see a guy who’s so passionate about football.”
Prescott faced criticism following his comments. Now, according to Inside The League’s Neil Stratton, Prescott no longer holds his position in Chicago after seven years with the team.
In a segment on ESPN’s “NFL Live” on Monday, ESPN senior writer Mina Kimes condemned Prescott for his comments, saying they dehumanize Brisker and diminish who is as a person.
“If that’s what they’re saying in public, what is being said behind closed doors?” Kimes said. “It’s amazing that Brisker has overcome adversity and should be championed, but to reduce his story to a draft attribute, like a 40[-yard dash] time, is to reduce who he is as a human being.”
Additionally, Kimes believes Prescott’s comments bring light to a bigger issue in NFL Draft commentary — both from teams and the media.
“This is something I think that we’ve all been complicit in, including the media, in our word choice, the presentation of stories” she continued. “But, it’s 2022, and by now, we should really all know better.”
To Kimes’ point, ESPN was in hot water two years ago during the 2020 NFL Draft for its handling of its draft coverage. When talking about some of the draft prospects, the network repeatedly opted to share tragedies and other sad stories about the players’ personal lives, which didn’t always sit well with viewers.
The backlash prompted the network to release a statement to Sporting News, which defended ESPN’s coverage and decision to air those stories.
“Our NFL Draft coverage analyzes the prospects on the field and introduces the human side of the players by telling their stories, including the obstacles their families have overcome as part of the journey to the NFL,” ESPN told Sporting news shortly after the 2020 NFL Draft.
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