Ray Rice stepped up to the microphone at a Ravens press conference this week to talk about his two game suspension and publicly apologized to his wife.
“My actions were inexcusable. My actions are something I have to live with the rest of my life,” he said.
Rice drew criticism during a press conference with his wife, Janay Palmer, in May, where she apologized, but he never gave her an apology back. He addressed that.
“I didn’t publicly apologize to my wife. I know that hit home for a lot of people,” Rice said. “I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life. She can do no wrong. She’s an angel.”
Already suspended by the NFL for the first two games of the season, the running back has been very quiet during camp. But his critics nationwide have been quite vocal about what many feel as a lenient punishment after he was indicted for physically assaulting his then fiancée.
Rice would not specifically address anything that happened in Atlantic City. Instead, he said he takes full responsibility and is no focused on moving forward.
“I own my actions,” he said. “I just don’t to keep reliving the incident. It doesn’t bring any good toward me. I’m just trying to move forward from it. I don’t condone it. I take fully responsibility for my actions. What happened that night is something I am going to have to deal with for the rest of my life.”
Rice also spoke on how this going to affect his 2 year old daughter when she gets older.
“I know that’s not who I am as a man. That’s not who my mom raised me to be. I was raised by a single parent, and that was my mother. I have let her down, I have let my wife down, I have let my daughter down and I also let my parents down. I let so many people down because of 30 seconds of my life that I know I can’t take back,” Rice said.
A judge put Rice in a first time offender program, meaning no jail time and a clean record. But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who met with Rice and his wife, says the assault warranted a suspension.
“We simply cannot tolerate conduct that endangers others. This is particularly true with respect to domestic violence and other forms of violence against women,” said Goodell in a letter to Rice.
At an open practice game last week, Ravens fans showed great support by cheering for Rice.
“I appreciate the fans of Baltimore who gave me that ovation,” Rice said. “When the time is right, when I get myself completely right to back out there and do the things I can do to help out in the community, I will go out there and help as many people as I can,” Rice said.
He also states that this domestic violence situation is the first and only time something like this will happen. He also apologized to al the victims of domestic violence
The House of Ruth, a nationwide domestic violence center, released a stated following Ray’s incident:
“The unfortunate incident with the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Rice has generated tremendous conversation about the issue of intimate partner violence. We appreciate that Mr. Rice apologized to his wife and to all victims of intimate partner violence and is taking the best steps to create a healthy relationship in his family. We hope that Mr. Rice will now take an active stand in the work that is being done to end intimate partner violence. He is in a unique position to use his influence to let other men know that this kind of behavior is unacceptable and that it is not acceptable to be a bully in a relationship.
“All men, not just Mr. Rice, need to take responsibility as husbands, boyfriends, fathers, brothers, caretakers and friends. They need to speak out and lead the charge that intimate partner violence is not acceptable at any level and it destroys lives and families.
“We look forward to the time that Mr. Rice is ready to turn this experience into a positive in our community and nationally.”
Rice’s action will cost him a two game suspension of the regular season and $500,000.
“When I didn’t have nothing growing up, all I had was football. Just to have that taken away from me, and I can’t be with you guys the first two weeks, it hurts,” Rice said. “I appreciate you guys support.”
