A lot of the conversations surrounding Alvin Kamara this offseason have centered on what he’s done away from the field — settling cases in Nevada and Louisiana courts after his arrest a year ago, and sitting down with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to get in front of a likely suspension stemming from the incident.
Now that the cases are settled and his conversation with Goodell “went very well,” Kamara spoke with local media at New Orleans Saints training camp. And his opening statement was a lengthy acknowledgement to his mistakes and pledge to learn from them.
“Poor judgment on my end, definitely a bad decision,” Kamara admitted, “But I’m a man, everything I’ve ever done in my life, I’ve stood on it. I can take accountability for it and say when I’m wrong. I was completely wrong, I embarrassed the Saints, my family and my mother. Embarrassed myself. Embarrassed the city. And the Shield, obviously, I embarrassed the NFL.”
Kamara said that he’s lost a lot here — not just monetarily, but in friendships and the support of some fans. He knows he’s made mistakes, and now he’s working to do the best he can moving forward: “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t tough. I’ve lost a lot throughout this ordeal. Definitely not looking for any pity, not looking for somebody to give me a pat on the back and say it’s okay. I know what I did, I know what I was involved in, and I definitely take responsibility in it. That’s part of being a man and growing. From here, I’ve just got to make the right decisions and make the right choices.”
Quoting Tony Dungy’s old line (“Nothing good happens after 12, after midnight”) and acknowledged that he needs to do a better job of making the right decisions to stay out of trouble. Kamara drummed his hands on the podium and grinned, “That’s all I’ve got to say about that. So now, let’s talk about football.”
