Miami Dolphins GM Apologizes to Dez Bryant, NFL Responds

Originally Published: Apr 28, 2010 11:7 AM CDT

Dave Carty
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

MIAMI -- Questions swirled around Dez Bryant after his NCAA suspension last season and appeared to harm his NFL Draft stock.

But more hurtful were the comments made by Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland.

Ireland made a phone call and issued an apology to Bryant after Yahoo.com reported Ireland asked Bryant if his mother was a prostitute in a pre-draft interview.

"They asked me if my mom’s a prostitute,” Bryant said in the report. "No, my mom is not a prostitute. I got mad — really mad — but I didn’t show it. I got a lot of questions like that: Does she still do drugs? I sat and answered all of them.”

"I talked to Dez Bryant and told him I used poor judgment in one of the questions I asked him,” Ireland said in a statement Tuesday. "I certainly meant no disrespect and apologized to him. I appreciate his acceptance of that apology."

Wednesday, NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith responded to Ireland's conduct in the pre-draft interview.

"We need to make sure the men of this league are treated as businessmen," Smith said. "During interviews, our players and prospective players should never be subjected to discrimination or degradation stemming from the biases or misconceptions held by team personnel.

"NFL teams cannot have the free reign to ask questions during the interview process which can be categorized as stereotyping or which may bring a personal insult to any player as a man. For the past year, active, former and incoming players have heard me speak about the expectations we have of them as members of this union, their teams, communities and families. It is equally true that the same kind of respect is demanded of their employers."

Bryant, a former Oklahoma State standout wide receiver, was selected No. 24 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

Ireland was hired as general manager of the Dolphins in January 2008 after serving as a scout with Dallas.