Sports - Panthers

Steve Smith made the following apology after punching teammate Ken Lucas during training camp, breaking his nose.

"First of all, I'd really like to apologize to the organization, to the coaches, to my teammates, to my family. I have a big responsibility to a lot of people and I know I disappointed a lot of people, but I will not allow this moment in the book of life to define me, despite what people may write or say.

"I made a bad decision. I accept my responsibilities and my actions. I will take this opportunity moving forward to try to do the best I can to move forward past it and let this not define me and not get down on myself to the point that I'm not able to help my teammates out and help this organization win a championship.

"This issue that happened is going to be an opportunity for the Carolina Panthers and myself as an individual to show our true colors and be able to show the impact we can have and not have this moment, leave the legacy of who I am to my children, who I am to my teammates, who I am as a man.

"I will not put myself in a position where I have to defend myself or state my side of the story. There's only one side, which is a lack of judgment on my part. ... I have no excuse. All I have is the opportunity to gain the respect of my fans, gain the respect of my family, gain the respect of my co-workers and the organization, and also the peers I play against as well.

"I'm going to take this opportunity to let God break me, humble me, and continually let me move forward in being the person I can truly be -- and that's a God-fearing man, no matter what people may think or what they may say.

"It's an opportunity for me to stand tall and take my punishment, but take it with God on my side and not me standing up trying to be something that I'm not. I'm a fallen man. I'm a man who made a mistake.

"I intend to mend the bridges I have burned and help rebuild a bridge if I need to all by myself, but not do it in a spiteful way. But to do it with the labor and the sound mind that God gives me, which is to do what I'm supposed to do.

"I'm not going to get into who's right, who's wrong. I'm completely wrong. (It was) an asinine decision. I'm going to move forward, and move forward better than I probably have had to.

"This is the first time in my life that I really haven't forgiven myself. That's what's I'm going to work on."