Chiefs release controversial back Larry Johnson

Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson dives for the end zone but comes up a yard short during their NFL football game against Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri September 28, 2008.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Kansas City Chiefs released controversial running back Larry Johnson on Monday, the day he had been scheduled to return from suspension for "conduct detrimental to the club."

Johnson, 29, was ordered last month to stay away from training and team activities while the Chiefs and the NFL investigated alleged comments made by the player.

"We made a decision to release Larry Johnson from his contract," Kansas City said head coach Todd Haley told a news conference on Monday.

"Over the last couple of weeks (general manager) Scott (Pioli) and I have expended a lot of time and energy, along with (board chairman) Clark Hunt, talking about this and figuring out the direction to go.

"We decided it was in the best interests of the Kansas City Chiefs organization to move forward. It was the totality of the situation and even before I was around here."

According to the Kansas City Star, Johnson posted demeaning comments, directed at Chiefs coach Haley, on his Twitter feed hours after the 37-7 loss to the San Diego Chargers on October 25.

DEROGATORY LANGUAGE

The newspaper reported Johnson also used derogatory language in a reply to a follower on Twitter and to a reporter.

The Star said Johnson had issued a statement to them, through his agent, apologizing for his behavior and language used.

"I want to apologize to the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs and the rest of the NFL, commissioner (Roger) Goodell, the Chiefs organization, coach Todd Haley, his staff, and my team mates for the words I used yesterday," he said.

"I regret my actions. The words were used by me in frustration and they were not appropriate. I did not intend to offend anyone but that is no excuse for what I said."

A first-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2003 draft, Johnson set an NFL single-season record with 416 rushing attempts in 2006 when he set a franchise single-season mark with 1,789 rushing yards.

In 75 games with the Chiefs he has rushed 1,375 times for 5,996 yards with 55 touchdowns.

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles, editing by Tony Jimenez and Julian Linden)