The Seattle Seahawks cut rookie cornerback Kemah Siverand on Aug. 11 after he tried to sneak a woman into the team hotel after disguising her as a player. Nearly two weeks later, Siverand has broken his silence on the incident. He apologized in statements on social media and called his decision “inexcusable.”
“After taking time to reflect and really consider the seriousness of my actions, I have tried to find the appropriate words to apologize to all of those affected by my poor decision and immaturity,” Siverand wrote. “I’ve privately apologized to Coach [Pete] Carroll, [general manager] John Schneider, and the Seahawks organization. I violated team rules, which would have been unacceptable in normal times, but absolutely inexcusable now during a pandemic. I understand my lapse in judgment put my teammates and the organization at risk, thankfully no one else was affected by my actions.
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“I want everyone to know that I am truly sorry, hold myself accountable, and am ready to move forward,” Siverand continued. “I want to make sure this one mistake will not define me, and I will continue training harder than ever to continue pursuing my dreams of playing in the National Football League.” He also thanked everyone that reached out to show support. According to a team source, Siverand’s apology continued with a handwritten letter to the Seattle Seahawks.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team decided to cut ties with Siverand after he was caught on camera trying to sneak in the woman. While Pelissero said that the Siverand had tried to disguise his companion, the footage did not surface, much to the chagrin of many Twitter users. However, sources did confirm to ESPN that the woman was wearing team gear.
Pelissero also described the decision as a “clear message on the responsibility” all of the players have while remaining in the COVID-19 bubble. Putting the team at risk brings major consequences. This statement fits with coach Pete Carroll’s No. 1 rule for his players, which is to “always protect the team.”
Interestingly, the team did not actually announce the reason for the player’s release other than a desire to cut the roster down to 76 players. The move also followed Seattle trading for former New York Jets safety Jamal Adams. The All-Pro was unhappy in the Big Apple and made his intentions to part ways with the team very clear, setting the stage for his journey to the Pacific Northwest.
