‘Polished Despite Growing Up in Brownsville’ – Brian Flores’ Lawyers Drop Bombshell in Discrimination Lawsuit, Revealing Memo With Racial Stereotypes

Brian Flores is one man who has curiously not gotten a shot at a head coaching gig over the last few years despite being the man behind one of the league’s top defensive units in Minnesota.

Flores has shown time and time again that he is one of the best coordinators in football. However, since being fired by the Miami Dolphins as their head coach in January 2022, Flores has rarely been in the conversation for a promotion elsewhere.

Part of this could be due to his ongoing lawsuit against the NFL. Flores is suing the NFL and six different teams for racial discrimination.

On Tuesday, a bombshell was dropped regarding this case, shedding light on what Flores has reportedly experienced.

Brian Flores’ Lawyers Expose Alleged Racial Stereotypes in Unsealed NFL Hiring Memo

A previously sealed Korn Ferry evaluation of Brian Flores became public Tuesday, October 13, after a federal court ordered the document unsealed as part of his ongoing discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.

The assessment in question is only one page long. However, one particular section contains racial stereotypes that raise troubling concerns.

“Polished and a good presenter despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn (same as Mike Tyson). He was able to build a strong friendship with a billionaire’s son, which gave him opportunities to socialize and learn how to build relationships with white-collar and upper-class individuals,” the section reads, per Front Office Sports.

Front Office Sports reports that the above section is among six points made in favor of Flores. In the negative section of the memo, the “polish” described as a positive is also used against the Vikings defensive coordinator.

“He can fool you with his polish upwards,” Ferry’s memo states.

Flores’ legal team also argued that the memo’s reference to his discrimination lawsuit as a potential distraction raised concerns about retaliation.

Korn Ferry disputed the attorneys’ interpretation of the document, and the litigation remains ongoing.

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NFL World Stunned By Unsealed Brian Flores Memo

The details of the memo have given rise to a ton of discussion online. Popular NFL analyst Brett Kollman pointed out that the memo appears to attempt to use two different forms of discrimination at the same time.

Others were stunned at how blatant the racial stereotypes were in this memo.

“Genuinely surprised they didn’t write “one of the good ones,” considering how blatant they were with this [expletive],” David Howman wrote.

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“The Brownsville comment (listed as a strength) might be the most racist, and that’s saying something,” Philly sportswriter O.J. Spivey remarked.

Michael Willemin, Flores’s lawyer, told Front Office Sports that the memo contained a “racially offensive way in which someone might comment upon a Black man being articulate, as though it is surprising for a Black man to be articulate (or, in this case, polished).”

He also noted that Brownsville, Brooklyn, has an 81% black and Hispanic population.

Flores has led some of the best defenses in the NFL since leaving the Dolphins. The Vikings allowed the third-fewest yards per game last year. This year, they have allowed the second-fewest yards per game. Minnesota’s Flores-led defense has an 85.8 PFN Defense Impact Score this year, which is top of the league.

The Vikings are currently 5-0 and one of three undefeated teams in the NFL heading into Week 6. The Kansas City Chiefs also have not lost a game, with a 4-0 record coming out of their bye week, while the San Francisco 49ers (fourth in the league in PFN Defense Impact Grade) are also unbeaten at 5-0.

The Vikings are on their bye week themselves. Minnesota will look to continue its momentum in Week 7 when they take on Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.