NFL prospects safeguarded from inappropriate team questions

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — NFL prospect Jake Andrews fielded questions from teams designed to probe his personality and attitude more than just his football IQ.

Those questions — such as, would you rather be a Super Bowl champion or Hall of Famer? — are standard issue for teams vetting potential draft picks leading up to all-star games like Saturday’s Senior Bowl and at the NFL combine. What aren’t deemed acceptable anymore: the outlier questions that a player might find demeaning or embarrassing, a nod to the greater attention being paid to mental health concerns among athletes.

Andrews, a Troy offensive lineman, and other players said former NFL running back Brian Westbrook spoke this week emphasizing the changes in the 21 years since he arrived in the league.

“When he first got in the league, if you wanted to see a psychiatrist or something, if you were having a down day, when it was time to negotiate that next contract, you knew (general managers) were going to bring that up,” Andrews said. “And that stuff just can’t happen in this day and age.

“I think it’s a good thing. A lot of people struggle with mental health and it’s really important to keep that in check. The questions can really expose people, so I think it’s a good thing that they protect us.”

The league warned teams in a memo last January they could be forced to forfeit a draft pick between the first and fourth round and be fined a minimum of $150,000 for out-of-bounds questions. Individual club employees could also face fines or suspensions.

There have been isolated reports in recent years of inappropriate questions being asked of draft prospects.

In 2010, then-Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland apologized to Dallas Cowboys first-round draft pick Dez Bryant for asking during a pre-draft visit...