Titus Young apologizes for 'recent actions,' returns to OTAs along with Nick Fairley

Lions wideout Titus Young, reportedly suspended for punching teammate Louis Delmas during OTAs, released a statement on Tuesday apologizing for his 'recent actions' and saying his absence gave him 'an opportunity to reflect.'

By Will Brinson

May 29, 2012 at 10:50 am ET • 1 min read

Last week we learned that second-year Lions wideout Titus Young reportedly punched teammate Louis Delmas during offseason training activities, drawing a suspension from OTAs. Reportedly, maybe or something of that nature -- the Lions tried to quash that rumor by releasing news via the team site.

But then coach Jim Schwartz refused to talk about Young's status, lending more credence to the notion that he was being punished. Young and the team finally confirmed his absence -- though not the specifics of it necessarily -- Tuesday when the wideout (along with recently arrested defensive tackle Nick Fairley) returned to OTAs.

"My recent actions have not always been up to the standards the Lions expect or the standards that I expect from myself," Young said in a statement released by the team. "I am truly sorry for those times when I didn’t meet those standards. My absence from the practice facility and the OTAs last week was necessary for both myself and the team.

"The time away from the team afforded me the opportunity to reflect and come to the realization that by putting those incidents behind me I will be able to focus on becoming the best teammate and player that I can be."

Of course, it's entirely possible that Young's behavior looks a lot less terrible after the Lions evaluated the Memorial Day weekend behavior of Fairley, who was reportedly pulled over while driving in excess of 100 miles per hour without proof of insurance and with an open container of alcohol.

Look, Young's apology sounds sincere enough, and if he were playing for just about any other team, we'd accept it and quickly move on. But the Lions might as well have drafted a portable magistrate bus in the seventh round of the draft this year given the behavior of the team's roster this offseason.

They're an incredibly talented bunch, and the fans probably prefer attention for five arrests in five months as opposed to five wins or less a year. But at some point if this team truly wants to contend, they've got to tighten up.

Hopefully Young's apology truly is sincere and a step in that direction.