Kareem Hunt won't make the same mistake twice.
After receiving a second chance to play in the NFL following his release from the Chiefs, the controversial running back promised Browns general manager John Dorsey that he will never commit another act of violence.
"Yes, I definitely did," Hunt told reporters Wednesday. "John Dorsey knows me very well and he actually drafted me in Kansas City and we had a real special connection and he knows the type of person I am and that wasn’t me. I mean, I definitely made a mistake and I apologize for it once again. And I told him I’m going to move forward and become a better person."
#Browns RB Kareem Hunt talks to the media here for the 1st time after OTAs pic.twitter.com/1gKWPWZGHr
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 15, 2019
Hunt was suspended for the first eight games of 2019 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy after a video surfaced of him shoving and kicking a woman in the hallway of a Cleveland hotel last February.
Players serving suspensions are usually banned from their team's facilities, though the Browns have asked the league to let Hunt remain with the team during that time. He showed he was serious by being present for the team's first OTA session.
"I told (Dorsey) 'You can trust me.' I’ve got to earn his trust, and I’ve got to earn everybody’s trust in the whole organization. I’m not willing to mess that up," Hunt said. "I live by that on the field, too. I make a mistake on the field, I'm not going to do it again. I'm going to learn from it and just move forward."
#Browns Kareem Hunt catching a pass during OTAs pic.twitter.com/YdeJ1fdD4g
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham) May 15, 2019
Browns coach Freddie Kitchens discussed his first impressions of Hunt, saying he's pleased with his commitment so far.
"I love Kareem. He is putting the work in," Kitchens said. "What I really love more than anything about Kareem is he is handling his business off the field. He is being the person and he is continuing to try to be the person that he wants to be and that everybody here wants him to be, and we are going to continue to support him in every way possible to do that.
"Like I said before, that is first and foremost. Everybody knows what he can do on the field. The thing that doesn’t get publicized a lot is what he is doing off the field and trying to get better as a person. He is doing that, he continues to do that and I don’t expect anything different from Kareem."
Hunt, 23, ran for 874 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games last season for the Chiefs. He previously led the NFL in rushing with 1,327 yards in 2017.