Detroit dumped cornerback Aaron Berry after his second arrest this offseason. (US Presswire) |
It hasn't been a pretty offseason for the Detroit Lions, with a number of different players running squarely into issues with the law. The latest of these run-ins involved cornerback Aaron Berry, who was arrested for the second time this offseason over the weekend.
Berry's arrest has cost him his job as the Lions decided to cut the cornerback for "personal conduct which adversely affects the club."
“We have repeatedly stressed to everyone in our organization that there will be appropriate consequences when an expected standard of behavior is not upheld," Lions president Tom Lewand said, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
It shouldn't be too surprising since there's been an outcry in Detroit over the past 48 hours or so that the Lions should get rid of the troubled cornerback.
CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman reports that "Lions brass consulted some veteran players in Lions locker room" about the decision to dump Berry. Lions players are, apparently, quite fed up with the way the team looks to the public.
"This s--- has to stop," one Lions player told CBSSports.com. "We're becoming the laughing stock of not only the NFL but all of sports."
Of the various players who found trouble this offseason, Berry's the least talented, and his second arrest involved an incident where he allegedly brandished a firearm at someone from a car. His first arrest was for drunk driving, so there's a good chance he was going to see some punishment from the NFL.
The Lions initially said they were "very disappointed" with Berry's actions, and now they've made it clear that they're only willing to put up with so many off-field problems (particularly if you're not great at your job).
Berry was an expected starter for the Lions -- opposite Chris <span data-shortcode=" data-canon="Chris Houston" data-type="SPORTS_OBJECT_PLAYER" id="shortcode0"> -- heading into training camp, but Detroit will now likely look to Alphonso Smith or Jacob Lacey to win the gig.
UPDATED (9:08 p.m. ET): Berry has released a statement through his agent (via the Detroit Free Press).
"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 worked my butt off this off-season and I hope to be able to help some team in the NFL and win games as I continue to grow as a father, friend, teammate and into the man I want to be. I want to thank coach [Jim] Schwartz, coach [defensive coordinator 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 my football skills. Again, I'm so sorry for letting you all down."
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