Stephentown, NY — Just four of the hundreds of hard-partying teens who rampaged through an ex-NFLer’s upstate home during an unsupervised bash broadcast on social media have returned to help clean up the scene of their shame.
Three of the repentant youths nervously turned up Saturday to face former New England Patriots offensive lineman Brian Holloway, who greeted each with a bear hug and a pep talk.
“I made them promise me I won’t have to bury them in 10 years,” Holloway said of his poignant chat with the penitent teens.
A fourth youth came to clean up a few days ago.
“The conversation isn’t over,” he said as the Saturday trio worked, washing graffiti and mopping floors at his property in Stephentown, which suffered some $20,000 in damage.
Some 300 kids crashed Holloway’s property three weeks ago, breaking windows, spray-painting walls, dancing on counters and tinkling on the carpets while he and his family were away at their Florida home.
The break-in — and ensuing debaucheries — played out live via Twitter-posted photos, and the outraged but helpless family watched it in real-time.
Holloway got his revenge by reposting the photos on his own Web site — which was then picked up by media ranging from his local paper to national TV shows.
“I was getting ready for school, and my friend called me and said my picture was on the ‘Today’ show,” said Ricky Nelson, 16, one of the teens cleaning up Saturday.
“I feel really bad about his house,” said Nelson, a Waterford HS student who fears he’ll be charged with criminal trespassing.
“I was shaking driving up here. My heart was pounding,” added Nelson, who, with fellow party-goer Mikaela Byrnes, 15, presented Holloway with a letter of apology and cash for repairs.
“I’m embarrassed,” said Byrnes, whose face turned up in four of the tweeted party pics.
“It wasn’t worth it at all. This isn’t fun for me. I’m afraid for my future,” she said. “I’m a junior, and I’m scared colleges will hear about this. I want to clean up and apologize to Mr. Holloway.”
A third teen, Amanda Briell, 17, said: “My face was in a bunch of photos . . . It’s crazy. I’ve been put in the news and put to blame. I want to show I’m not a bad kid.”
Holloway is more worried about the partiers who have not shown up at his door.
“There’s so much media surrounding this now, and I don’t want any suicides. Promise to commit to protecting your classmates,” he told the trio.