Ray Rice last played an NFL game as a Baltimore Raven in December 2013.
Only a few months after that season’s end, Rice, a Pro Bowl running back, was caught on tape knocking out his then-fiance Janay Palmer in an elevator at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, MD. Rice was originally suspended for two games, but after the video of the incident was released by TMZ, he was suspended from the league indefinitely. In late November 2014, Rice’s indefinite suspension was overturned and he was eligible to be signed to an NFL team–if any team were willing to take on the negative social whiplash that would come with him. No team has. (see SB Nation’s article here for a full timeline of events)
But that may finally change.
A growing sense that Ray Rice, who last played a game Dec. 29, 2013, might get chance to play in NFL again this season, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 11, 2016
We all know the Ray Rice story. But do we know Ray Rice the man?
Before this terrible mistake derailed Rice’s NFL career, he was the face of the Baltimore Ravens franchise and a model of what professional athletes should be.
Ray Rice, now happily married to his then-fiance Janay Palmer, was heavily involved in the Baltimore community. He established the Ray Rice Charitable Fund to help aid children in local hospitals and help build the community. He was a sponsor of the NFL’s Play 60 program. He put on an annual free football clinic for kids called “Ray Rice Day.” He worked with the Kennedy Kreiger Institute to be sure there were activities for special needs children at his clinic. He worked hard to inspire kids and encourage them to develop good moral character. Rice also did a lot to raise awareness about bullying. He headed up an initiative called “A Ray of Hope: A Pro-Kindness, Anti-Bullying, Teen Suicide Prevention Outreach.” He regularly spoke to teens and visited schools to raise awareness on the impact of bullying, including cyber bullying. Rice used Facebook to personally raise support for the passing of “Grace’s Law”, a Maryland anti-cyberbullying bill (HB396).
You get the picture. He was a poster boy of using the platform of an NFL athlete to do good. He was a leader on the field and a role model off it.
Since his fall from the NFL, he has remained involved in the Baltimore community and recently spoke to Ravens’ rookies about his experience. Rice taught the rookies the importance of being good on and off the field.
Earlier this year, Rice told USA Today that he would donate his entire salary to charity if a team would give him a chance. Through years of trying to repair his image, his desire to raise awareness about issues–especially about one that has impacted his life in such a huge way–is still very much there. And a whopping 80% of our voters see that.
#RayRice pledged his entire salary to domestic violence causes if signed this year. Should a team give him a chance?
— Best NFL Polls (@Best_NFL_Polls) July 21, 2016
For the past few years, Rice has been trashed on social media. For a while now people have only see him as one thing–the face of domestic violence. In the minds of many, that unfortunate and sickening event has defined Ray Rice. But for Ray and his wife Janay, they have moved upward and onward, trying their best to not let this experience define their relationship or their lives.
From the looks of it, people are starting to pull for Ray to get a second chance too.
Which troubled player do you hope turns their life around and gets another chance on the gridiron again? #NFL
— Best NFL Polls (@Best_NFL_Polls) May 31, 2016
It’s good to see so many people supporting a return to the NFL for Ray Rice. We’ve all made mistakes, and I don’t think any one of us would want to be defined for the rest of our lives by any one mistake we make in a dark moment. While we might self-righteously declare that none of our mistakes are as bad as Ray’s, I imagine we would have a very different perspective on our mistakes if we were under the same level of pubic scrutiny that NFL players are under. I think someone seriously trying to turn their life around should be given an opportunity to do exactly that.
If a team gives Ray a chance, we shouldn’t see it as an organization condoning domestic violence. We should see it as an organization believing in redemption and hope in an individual striving to overcome mistakes. We have seen the player and leader Tyrann Mathieu has become after Bruce Arians and the Cardinals took a chance on him despite the character concerns. I really believe Ray Rice can become that same kind of leader and positive influence on a team after all he has been through.
Aside from his ongoing charitable work, Ray Rice has kept busy by actively working out, waiting for a team to call. With a lot of teams (including the Redskins, Dolphins and Jaguars) struggling to run the ball this week and with injuries sure to pile up as the season goes on, you can be sure that teams will at least start to give signing Ray Rice some thought.
If Schefter’s sources are correct, Ray Rice’s road to redemption may lead him back to the NFL sooner rather than later.
(Photo credit: Keith Allison via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA)