Kareem Hunt took full responsibility for the actions that led to his release by the Chiefs on Friday, saying the team was right to cut him after a video showed him pushing and kicking a woman during an altercation at a Cleveland hotel in February.
In an interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters on Sunday, Hunt admitted he lied to the Chiefs about what happened.
"Honestly, I just want to let the world know how sorry I am for my actions," Hunt said. "It's been a tough time for me. I am extremely embarrassed because of that video. ... The video shows I was in the wrong. I'm not that type of person. I'm really just disappointed and embarrassed for myself and for my family. I'm really taking action to learn from this and do everything possible to become a better man."
Hunt said he didn't hold anything against the Chiefs for releasing him.
"The Chiefs are right. I didn't tell them everything and I don't blame them for anything," Hunt said. "My actions caused this. I really wish I could just apologize to them and let them know it's no hard feelings between me and the Chiefs. I love the program. I love the people there. I just want to take this time and better myself and not let anything like this ever happen again."
"We made the decision that we made, we put out a statement to explain that situation. And as we've done in the past, when things come up, that's where we go," Reid said. "We handle it within and we handle it with the person that's been affected. So we've done all of those things and I'll just leave it with that. But I don't want to get away, or anything to distract from how tough a place this is to play. My locker room, leadership, overcoming a situation that we had there, which can be a distraction, handled it the right way and stepped up today, in a place that we haven't always come out with this kind of result."
Hunt told Salters he hasn't spoken with the woman he shoved and kicked in the video since the incident. He also said he's planning to undergo counseling, but didn't explain why he waited until after the video was released to seek treatment. He also wasn't asked about allegations he punched a man in an Ohio resort parking lot in June.
He also said he believes he deserves to be given a second chance.
"[What is] on those videos, that's not me. That's not the person I am," he said. "It's out there, it happened. I'm very embarrassed about it. I'm ashamed at myself and I just want to do whatever it takes to have people's trust back and show them I'm really a good guy.
"I'm asking for forgiveness. I definitely believe I deserve forgiveness. Everything is really happening fast right now and I just want everybody to forgive me. I know it's going to be hard. I made a bad choice and I'm not going to let this bring me down."
Hunt was placed on the Reserve/Commissioner Exempt List by the NFL and released by the Chiefs hours after TMZ published a surveillance video showing him getting into a confrontation with a woman while being restrained by others. The video shows Hunt exchanging words with her before shoving her. She then strikes him in the face before he's pushed away. Hunt then shoves another man into the woman, pushing her to the floor. Hunt eventually makes his way over to her and kicks her in the leg while she is on the floor.
"Honestly, I never met the girl before besides that one time," Hunt said. "I met her one time. It was my first two days living at this new place. ... It was just a disagreement. Honestly, I wanted her just to leave, but there's no excuse for me to act that way or to even put myself in that position."
Neither the NFL nor the Chiefs had seen the video before it was released Friday, a source informed of the situation told Rapoport. Hunt said Sunday he also didn't see the video prior to its release. The NFL made several attempts to obtain it. The hotel said it was corporate policy to only turn over surveillance video to law enforcement. According to Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia of the Cleveland Police Department, she doesn't believe anyone with the department saw the video, either. Officers filed two police reports, but the video was not part of the investigation file.
While no charges were filed, the NFL is continuing to investigate. The league has made attempts to contact the alleged victims, but they haven't responded, a source told Rapoport. Hunt told Salters that the NFL hasn't talked to him or requested to talk to him about the incident.
Under the league's personal conduct policy, Hunt faces a baseline suspension of six games. He could be suspended for more games based on the outcome of the league's investigation into the hotel incident and the June incident.
It remains to be seen if Hunt will join a team while on the Exempt List. If a team claims him off the waiver wire, he may, with the club's permission, be present at the team facility on a reasonable basis for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation and other permitted non-football activities under the terms of the Exempt List.
As for the Chiefs, Hunt feels like he let down his teammates with his actions.
"I lied to them so they said 'we love you, everybody cares about you and we have to let you go,'" Hunt said. "It was a tough conversation. The Chiefs did what was right. I made that poor decision and I'm willing to take full responsibility of any actions that come from this point on.
"I feel like I let the Chiefs down, my family down, those players down -- and those are really like my brothers."
