[NFL agent Don] Yee makes it clear he is not suggesting NFL personnel evaluators have practiced any overt or intentional form of discrimination in assessing Chang’s prospects. But as the league’s only Asian-American agent, he can draw on his experience and the well-meaning perceptions he sometimes ran up against in becoming a pioneer in his field. “I do think [Chang’s] ethnicity to some degree plays a part,'’ Yee said. “But there’s no malice intended. It’s almost a subconscious perception problem. There is kind of a perception that people have of Asians. There are still stereotypes that well-intending people still buy into. When I got into this business, it took a couple years before I was able to not have to listen to any jokes any more about being Asian. It wasn’t malice. It was more ignorance.'’

One Asian stereotype concerns size. A longtime NFL personnel man told me on Thursday the problem with Chang is “the kid is short.'’ But when I noted that Chang was 6-1½ and 211 pounds at the Scouting Combine — a tad shorter than St. Louis’ Bulger, and taller than San Diego’s Drew Brees — the talent scout replied: “But he plays short. And he ran 5.15 [at the NFL combine]. And he’s 211, but he looks frail.'’