Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys' Hardy expresses 'regret' for past, gratitude for 2nd chance

Published Nov. 7, 2015 9:47 p.m. ET

foxsports

Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy on Saturday made his first public comments since Deadspin published previously sealed photos of the injuries he allegedly inflicted on ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder during an incident in early 2014.

Hardy took to Twitter and expressed "regret" for "the past," posting the following tweets:

but mostly I am Grateful 4 the opportunity to play in NFL #GodBlessHookyStreet
— Kraken&theNightmares (@OverlordKraken) November 8, 2015

Hardy was found guilty in July 2014 of of assaulting a female and communicating threats, and he received 18 months' probation and a 60-day jail sentence. That verdict was overturned on appeal, though, and the charges were dropped when Holder declined to appeal that result. Hardy missed 14 games last season while with Carolina due to the domestic case and served a four-game suspension from the NFL to begin this year.

Hardy signed an incentive-laden $13 million free agent contract with Dallas in March, and despite the heavy criticism of Hardy, the Cowboys — in particular owner Jerry Jones — have publicly supported their offseason signing of Hardy and recently doubled down on that support, with Jones releasing a statement Friday that read in part: "We entered into the agreement with Greg fully understanding that there would be scrutiny and criticism. We have given Greg a second chance. He is a member of our team and someone who is grateful for the opportunity he has been given to move forward with his life and his career.”

According to the police report, Holder told authorities that following an argument, Hardy pushed her into a shower wall, dragged her by her hair and threw her onto a futon that had a number of guns on it. She said he then began to strangle her from above, and she told police that her thoughts at the time were, "He was gonna kill me, this is it ... this is the time. He's actually gonna do it."

More details and photos from the police report can be found here.

Hardy hasn't helped himself, either, releasing a widely denounced rap video last month and then, just two weeks ago, lashing out at teammates and an assistant coach on the sideline late in the Cowboys' loss to the Giants. However, he did not reference any specific incidents or events in his tweets Saturday night.