IN BRIEF : Kemp Coy About Top NFL Post

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp has refused to take himself out of the running for the job of National Football League commissioner, according to a published report today.

In an interview with the Washington Times, Kemp said he spoke Sunday with retiring NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who asked him if he was interested in the job. Kemp told the newspaper that the conversation was not a concrete offer, but he refused several times to respond directly when asked if he would reject the job if offered.

Kemp, the former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers, said he turned down an interview with Rozelle’s “headhunters,” referring to the executive search company the league hired to help find a replacement.

Asked if he would reject the job if offered, Kemp replied, “Are you trying to stick a pencil in my ear?” Asked to elaborate, he said, “It means I’m thrilled to be doing what I’m doing and to be in the Bush Administration.”