NFL to investigate alleged questions about sexual orientation at scouting event

NEW YORK — The National Football League (NFL) said Wednesday it will investigate claims by a University of Colorado football player that he was asked about his sexual orientation by at least one NFL team during a scouting interview last week.

Colorado tight end Nick Kasa told ESPN Radio in Denver that during interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week, he was asked questions such as, “‘Do you have a girlfriend?’ ‘Are you married?’ ‘Do you like girls?'”

Kasa is one of hundreds of players who participated in the annual showcase for NFL prospects in advance of April’s draft, but he did not identify who asked him such questions.

Appearing on the “Dan Patrick Show” on Wednesday, Kasa downplayed the incident and said he didn’t think it “was really a serious question.”

Bu the NFL said it plans to investigate Kasa’s comments and that “any team or employee that inquires about impermissible subjects or makes an employment decision based on such factors is subject to league discipline.”

“Teams are expected to follow applicable federal, state and local employment laws,” the NFL said, in a statement.

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“I know that the NFL agrees that these types of questions violate the law, our CBA and player rights,” said DeMaurice Smith, the head of the NFL players association, in a statement. “I hope that they will seek out information as to what teams have engaged in this type of discrimination and we should then discuss appropriate discipline.”

Earlier this week, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and NBC Sports, also appearing on Patrick’s show, said NFL coaches and general managers want to know if Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o is gay.

“Teams want to know whether Manti Te’o is gay,” said Florio. “They just want to know. They want to know because in an NFL locker room, it’s a different world.”