Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair admitted his regret for his illegal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing fight between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.
Al-Shaair's statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is scheduled to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
On December 1, a hit by Al-Shaair to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several trainers and Lawrence has not played since suffering the barbaric contact.
“While many took the first opportunity to launch into the false narrative (that I am a dirty player or a bad person), the messages from everyone who supported me were the only thing keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation.” Al-Shaair said on social media.
'I have learned a lot from this whole experience. Seeing myself on video, letting my emotions take over me to the point of completely losing control, was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.'
'I have had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to push me to a point where I jeopardize everything I've worked my entire life to obtain. “That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from there.”
Azeez Al-Shaair admitted regret for his hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence
Texans defensive back suspended three games for hitting Lawrence
More to come.