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On Monday, there was no hiding for “emotional, teary-eyed” Texas Longhorns offensive guard Kent Perkins in the wake of his Friday morning DWI arrest — the senior met with the media and offered a full apology to “anybody who has ever looked up to me.”
"I want to apologize to my team, my coaches, my family,” Perkins said. “That's not me, not my character, not what I'm about. I know I disappointed a lot of people.”
After falling asleep in a Raising Cane’s drive-through line before crashing his Dodge Charger and then falling asleep once again, Perkins blew a .178 at 325 pounds.
The longtime starter called the decision to drive after consuming several mixed vodka drinks a “stupid mistake” and accepted responsibility for the potential damage that he could have done to himself and others by driving in such an intoxicated condition.
“I’m grateful I didn’t cause injury to somebody else,” he said. “I’m thankful to God nothing physically happened to me or anybody else.”
During the several hours that Perkins spent in Travis County Jail on Friday morning, he had a chance to reflect on his decisions and the people he let down after feeling “terrified” when he was handcuffed and arrested.
Still a captain of the Texas team, the former US Army All-American has a different perspective on what’s important and realizes he has to do a better job of leading his teammates by example.
He’s accepted whatever punishment head coach Charlie Strong has put in front of him, including the one-game suspension, a mandate to undergo counseling, and the performance of community service, not to mention the directive from Strong to appear before the media to offer an in-person apology.
Now Perkins will attempt to continue down his road of redemption after facing the media and apologizing to his fans and teammates.
"I'm fired up to earn the trust back from those who I have let down."