Aaron Berry Does the Right Thing

By - Shayne Carnahan

Third-year corner Aaron Berry did something over the weekend that many thought to be the impossible for an NFL player.

He screwed up so bad, that he was actually released.

Photo by: Tim Fuller

On Saturday, Berry was arrested on three counts of assault, which included brandishing a firearm. And after a previous drunk driving arrest, as far as the Lions were concerned -- that was the final straw.

But Berry did something fairly noble in the aftermath. He released a statement accepting full responsibility for his mistake. Here's the text in full, from his agent Audie Attar's website:

"Words cannot describe how embarrassed I am right now. I've let my family, my teammates, my coaches and the entire Detroit Lions organization, including the fans, down, and I'm so sorry. I know it sounds crazy to some people, but I know I will continue to get better and grow from this unfortunate experience, I have no choice but to get better.

"There are always two sides to every story, and the legal process will be where I will tell my side regarding this recent incident. I love the game of football, and still feel I have a bright future ahead of me. I've worked my butt off this off-season, and I hope to be able to help some team in the NFL win games. As I continue to grow as a father, a friend, a teammate, and into the man I want to be.

"I want to thank Coach (Jim) Schwartz, Coach (Gunther) Cunningham, (general manager) Martin Mayhew, and all the Lions staff, players, and fan base for such a wonderful opportunity where I was able to showcase all of my football skills. Again, I'm so sorry for letting you all down."

The statement amazed me when I read it. Honestly, it blew me away. I mean, an NFL player who was humble enough to admit that he was wrong, and even went as far as to offer up a sincere apology for his mistake.

Berry is young enough to still have a pretty bright future in the National Football League. He's admitted himself into rehab, and his agent says he hopes to make a full comeback once he's completed his program.

I'm pulling for him, and hopefully, he'll be playing in the NFL again very soon.