As the one-year anniversary of the infamous domestic-violence incident that resulted in the end of his career in Baltimore falls this weekend, Ray Rice issued a statement of apology and thanks to the city and Ravens fans.
In a letter to The Baltimore Sun, the 28-year-old running back again expressed regret for striking his wife inside a casino elevator in Atlantic City early on the morning of Feb. 15, 2014. After his aggravated assault case was resolved without any prison time and he initially received a two-game suspension, video surfaced of the incident on Sept. 8, which led to the Ravens terminating Rice’s contract and the NFL suspending him indefinitely later that same day.
“To all the kids who looked up to me, I’m truly sorry for letting you down,” Rice wrote in his letter, “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.”
Rice won his appeal of the NFL’s indefinite suspension and was reinstated in November, but no team signed him before the conclusion of the 2014 season. The Sun reports Rice now plans to leave Baltimore and return to his native New York as he hopes to continue his NFL career.
His wrongful termination grievance filed against the Ravens was settled in January, but terms were not released. Rice also thanked the organization, mentioning owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Ozzie Newsome, and head coach John Harbaugh specifically and expressing pride in winning Super Bowl XLVII.
Below is Rice’s full letter to The Sun:
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
