WAUKESHA, Wis. — Mark Chmura doesn't play for the Green Bay Packers anymore. In fact, the three-time pro bowler hasn't strapped on the pads in more than a year, and for the last 13 days, he hasn't worn his Super Bowl Championship ring that he won in 1996 by defeating a tough New England Patriots team in a game he played flawlessly. That's all history now.

But you'd never know it judging by the throngs of autograph-seeking Packers fans that showed up at the Comfort Inn Suites for the tight end's press conference following his acquittal Saturday of third-degree sexual assault and enticement of a minor charges.

Chmura entered the makeshift press conference room on Sunday afternoon, casually dressed in a peppered gray long-sleeve shirt, black slacks and shiny black shoes. His wife, Lynda, also dressed down in a fuzzy pink turtleneck and gray slacks, accompanied him. The couple strolled in hand-in-hand, and Lynda grinned at the welcome wagon that ushered them into the hotel.

At least 100 people showed up to offer their support for Chmura, who was on trial during the past two weeks for allegations surrounding his conduct with a 17-year-old girl in the bathroom of Robert Gessert's home last April during a drunken post-prom party. Gessert, 43, is accused of sexually assaulting another girl, a friend of Chmura's accuser, in a hot tub during the party. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of second- and fourth-degree sexual assault, and his trial is set for March 13.

Defense lawyer Gerald Boyle was the first to approach the lectern at the Waukesha hotel Sunday afternoon. His daughter and co-counsel Bridget Boyle accompanied him. Then a horde of Chmura family and friends filled up the space behind the lectern. All were recognizable as regular attendees of the trial at the Waukesha County Courthouse, with the exception of five children, all wearing number 89 Chmura jerseys.

First and foremost, Boyle addressed the media and answered the one question on everybody's mind: Chmura will not talk about the alleged victim, Allison, now 18, or about what happened in the bathroom that April night. "He will be happy to when we hear if there's any civil litigation," Boyle said, a response to Allison's testimony hinting that her family plans to sue the football player for punitive damages.

Then Chmura himself stepped up to the cluster of microphones and more than 20 video cameras. He looked down at the podium, initially avoiding eye contact with the cameras or reporters.

His voice was calm and steady, his face stoic, as he spoke publicly for only the second time in 10 months.

"I know as a Green Bay Packer and a professional athlete, I've disappointed many, many people, and for that, I am truly sorry," Chmura said. And then the hulking 6-foot-5-inch, 250 pound man did what he had he learned he'd be going home to his family and not to prison. He started to cry.

He had wept on Saturday night during the reading of the verdict but on Sunday, as the television sets across Wisconsin and throughout the country broke from programming to catch the long-awaited speech, he stepped back from the microphones and began to sob. Flashbulbs going off around the room, Lynda Chmura quickly leapt from her chair, crying too, and the large athlete hugged his wife and buried his face in her neck. For several seconds, the only sounds in the room were the click of cameras, flashes firing, and Lynda Chmura's inaudible words of support to her husband.

The jersey-clad children stared at Chmura with stupefaction.

When he regained his composure, he tried a second time: "I promise you, nothing like this will ever happen again," he said, trembling through the words. "I'd like to thank the people of Wisconsin for their prayers and who gave me the presumption of innocence from the start."

Chmura then fielded a series of questions ranging from whether his relationship is still strong with his wife, who he's known since the second grade, to his feelings about Michael Kleber, a high school football player from Catholic Memorial High School whose testimony, along with that of witness Val Buscemi, were key to his acquittal.

"I owe so much to Michael Kleber," Chmura said. "He's a warrior, that's what he is. Michael Kleber's a warrior."

He also fielded questions regarding his future in the NFL. "I'm ready to get back to work," he said. But he likely won't be wearing green and gold this time around. "I don't fault the Packers for what they did," he said regarding the fact that he was cut from the team shortly after he was arrested and charged with sex offences. His agent, Eric Metz, told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that several teams have expressed interest in the all-pro tight end.