As the one-year anniversary of his high-profile domestic-violence incident approaches this weekend, former Ravens star running back Ray Rice issued a statement Friday morning to The Baltimore Sun.
Rice apologized and also thanked the city of Baltimore and the Ravens, including owner Steve Bisciotti.
Rice, 28, plans to leave Maryland and move back to his home state of New York, according to sources. Rice is hoping to relaunch his football career after his $35 million contract was terminated by the Ravens on Sept. 8 when a graphic video surfaced of him knocking out his then-fiancee, Janay, now his wife.
The incident occurred Feb. 15, 2014 in a casino elevator in Atlantic City, N.J.
Rice’s felony aggravated assault case was resolved without jail time after prosecutors accepted him into a pretrial intervention program.
He was reinstated in November from an indefinite NFL suspension by former federal judge Barbara S. Jones. He is a free agent, but sources say he hasn’t visited or worked out for any NFL teams. Sources said the three-time Pro Bowl selection continues to work out in hopes of landing another job in the NFL.
Never hit a person or animal in rage (woman, man or even a cat). Good luck on your career. Next time get a better Law Firm &PR staff. Forget about the NFL, invest your money wisely and kiss your wife &family tonight; its almost Valentines Day.
Here’s Rice’s full statement:
Dear Baltimore,
This is not a farewell or goodbye. The last seven years that my family and I have spent in Baltimore have by far been the best of our lives. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for the love and support you’ve shown my family and I throughout my football career. We’ll always be grateful for the love we’ve received from all of our fans and supporters, and for winning a Super Bowl. To all the kids who looked up to me, I’m truly sorry for letting you down, but I hope it’s helped you learn that one bad decision can turn your dream into a nightmare. There is no excuse for domestic violence, and I apologize for the horrible mistake I made. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope to make a positive difference in people’s lives by raising awareness of this issue. Thank you, Baltimore Ravens, for all you have done for my family and I. I’m very grateful to Steve Bisciotti, Ozzie Newsome, John Harbaugh, and everyone at 1 Winning Drive. I love you all very much, and I’ll always be proud to say I played for the Baltimore Ravens.
Thank you.
-Ray Rice
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
