The flesh may still be weak, but the spirit seems to be willing.
Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who along with the rest of the 2011 draft class didn’t attend the Rookie Symposium because there wasn’t one, made a special request for permission to attend this year’s session, according to Tim Twentyman of the team’s official website.
Fairley, whose offseason incidents include marijuana possession and DUI/eluding police, arrived with the AFC rookies, whose portion of the program began on Wednesday.
“Nick knows that his actions will speak louder than his words in accepting responsibility and moving forward,” Lions president Tom Lewand told Twentyman. “Asking to attend this year’s symposium is clearly a positive action and a step in the right direction.”
We agree, as long as Fairley thought of it on his own, as a way to truly make a step in the right direction. If Fairley or someone close to him is merely hoping to improve a troubled player’s image by going through the motions, it won’t matter.