Until Friday, Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley has remained publicly silent since his DUI arrest in late May.
Fairley broke that silence by releasing a statement on his Facebook page. As you probably would have guessed, Fairley went the contrite route.
“After taking some much-needed time to reflect on recent incidents, and after conversations with my advisors, teammates, and members of the Lions organization, I would like to make the following statement: I want to personally apologize to my fans, teammates and the Detroit Lions organization for bringing this unwanted attention to our team. I recognize my actions were inexcusable and I personally need to uphold the expected standard of behavior of a professional athlete. I do not take for granted this opportunity and feel blessed everyday to play in the NFL. At this time, I am fully cooperating with the Mobile, Ala. Police Department. I am now focused on moving forward and committing my focus to football. I would like to thank everyone for your concern and understanding.”
It’s fairly boilerplate stuff, but a necessary part of the process of moving forward from the arrest for Fairley and the Lions. Even more necessary will be Fairley’s realization that the words mean nothing if they aren’t accompanied by a change in actions. With two arrests this offseason, Fairley faces a possible suspension by the league and, even without it, he’ll be on a short rope going forward.