Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley made his first public comments today about his two off-season arrests and said he’s trying to make better decisions, Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.

“I haven’t turned my back on none of my friends,” Fairley said at a kickball tournament he was hosting in Dearborn Heights. “I’m still friends with everybody that I’ve been friends with.

“Like I said, just surrounding myself with better persons, people that got my best interests at heart: people in the locker, players just picking me up.”

Fairley was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana April 3 after Mobile, Ala., police said they found two partially smoked joints in the ashtray of his Cadillac Escalade. In May, he was arrested on accusations of driving under the influence of alcohol while going 100 m.p.h. Alabama state troopers also charged Fairley with reckless driving and attempting to elude police.

Fairley served as one of the coaches for the kickball tournament for children ages 8-12 presented by Come Play Detroit and the HYPE (Helping Youth Progress and Excel) Athletics Community. Despite his arrests, Fairley said he was still worthy of being trusted with influencing children.

“Because I’m a great guy,” Fairley said. “Simple as that.”

Fairley, who looked like an oversized child himself, romped around, encouraged kids and doled out high fives.

“I’ve got a lot of nieces and nephews I like to play with,” he said. “Kickball is our thing. That’s what we do when we’re at home when we’ve got family cookouts and things like that. We get together to have fun. I just love kids.”