NFL Draft Prospect Jerome Baker Says Coach Asked What He'd Do If He Punched Him

NFL front-office personnel and coaches will often ask puzzling questions to test the limits of prospects ahead of the draft, and that was no different with Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Jerome Baker. 

In an interview with Draft Wire's Justin Melo, Baker said a coach asked him how he would respond if the coach punched him in the face:

"To me, being from Cleveland, my natural reaction was, 'Coach, no disrespect but if you punch me in the face, we're gonna fight right here.' That was just my natural response. I guess that's what he wanted to hear, because he said, "Good." It was definitely a fun interview. I didn't get asked too many weird questions."

Baker added he got the impression later in the day the coach approved of his response, with the coach telling Baker he "wouldn't just stand there" and would "fight back" if physically provoked.

While a bit out of left field, the question posed to Baker is relatively innocuous compared to some of the more personal queries asked during the pre-draft process.

Jeff Ireland, who was the Miami Dolphins general manager at the time, apologized after the 2010 NFL draft for asking Dez Bryant whether his mother was a prostitute.

New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple said in March 2016 a representative of the Atlanta Falcons asked him at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine if he was gay. LSU Tigers running back Derrius Guice said last month he received not only a question about his sexuality but also whether his mother was a prostitute.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement the NFL "annually reminds clubs of these workplace policies that prohibit personnel from seeking information concerning a player's sexual orientation."

Guice, Baker and others don't have to wait much longer for the process to conclude. The first round of the 2018 draft starts April 26 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.