Chiefs RB Larry Johnson will be benched for a second straight week following reports that police are investigating him for repeatedly spitting in a woman's face and threatening to kill her boyfriend at a Kansas City area nightclub last week. Herm Edwards announced the benching today, taking care to note that his star running back would not be suspended and, thus, will collect a paycheck. (Way to put your foot down, Herm.) The embattled Johnson followed his coach on the podium and offered a surprisingly candid semi-apology sans notes:

"I want to start off saying I apologize to the Hunt family, my family, first and foremost, the fans, teammates, coaches and players. This is the first time in my life I actually had to stand up, I mean actually woke up and kind of be disgusted with myself and disgusted as far as the way my life and my career is heading right now...

...And I promise not only to the fans, not only to teammates, players, coaches, GMs and my own family that I do anticipate seeking help to get better as far as getting my life on track, knowing what I want out of this life, not necessarily football, and just work as hard as I can not only being a good football player but obviously being a son of the National Football League, a son of my own family, hopefully a brother, a future father, future husband.

[I will work hard] to get my life back on track and know that I and I alone put myself in these critical situations and environments to where things don't come out favorably to me. All I can do is promise to you guys and to people who are watching that as a man, I'm still growing and as a man everyone makes mistakes."

Now, somebody who has been charged with four assaults against women in the past five years doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt. And a mistake is a one-time incident like a DUI, not multiple charges for assaulting women. However, unlike so many other athlete statements after brushes with the law, at least Johnson is showing some semblence of remorse and acknowledged a need for change.

The running back has demonstrated his immaturity in the past, today's talk to the media showed that somewhere within the child-like Larry Johnson there's a man hiding. It's only a first step -- a baby step, really -- but that's more than guys like Lawrence Phillips or Pacman Jones ever did. There may be hope for Larry Johnson yet.