Hunt tells Browns, 'You can trust me,' after violent past

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Once he found the courage, Kareem Hunt watched the infamous video of him shoving a woman and then kicking her while she was on the ground.

Like millions of others, he was disturbed.

"I was like, 'Wow, it's pretty bad. That's not me,'" he said, recalling his reaction. "I didn't really watch the video for a long, long time."

Hunt swears he's since changed.

Given a second chance by his hometown team and the NFL, Hunt spoke today for the first time since being signed in February by the Browns, who are hoping the 23-year-old has learned from his mistakes and can outrun his violent past.

It's been an embarrassing and humbling five months for Hunt, released in December by Kansas City just days after a surveillance video showed him physically abusing a woman during an argument in a Cleveland hotel hallway in February 2018. He wasn't forthcoming to the Chiefs about what transpired and paid the price.

But Browns general manager John Dorsey, who drafted him in 2017 while GM with the Chiefs, decided Hunt deserved a shot at redemption.

Hunt said he's determined to make the most of it.

"I'm just taking it very seriously," he said. "Like day by day, I'm just making the best decisions at the time and place. And doing everything I can and prevent something like that from happening again."

Hunt said he's promised Dorsey his violent days are over.

"I told him, 'You can trust me.' I've got to earn his trust, and I've got to earn everybody's trust in the whole organization," he said. "I'm not willing to mess that up."

Hunt must serve an eight-game league suspension for "physical altercations" before he can play. For now, he's allowed to practice with his teammates during the Browns' offseason training activities, and his time on the field is providing a sanctuary and a place to begin making amends.

While he's remorseful about his past, Hunt knows only his actions going forward will help him earn back trust.

He's keeping a close circle of friends and working in the community by speaking to high school students about making smarter decisions.