Former Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher explained he never drafted a player based on sexual orientation after former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said the NFL encouraged him to do so.
Fisher released a statement and said "the NFL never encouraged or discouraged me regarding the selection of a potential prospect."
Fisher was the head coach of the Rams when they selected Michael Sam with a seventh-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft.
Sam had publicly come out as gay before the draft.
Part of an extensive report from the New York Times' Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman regarding Gruden's use of racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language in emails from 2011 to 2018 revealed the former coach, who has since resigned, suggested NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pressured Fisher to draft Sam.