Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith flew to Las Vegas to attend the sentencing hearing of his Alabama teammate Henry Ruggs, who got 3-10 years in prison for killing a woman while driving drunk.
The Eagles excused Smith from practice so he could be there with his close friend, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Smith has not spoken publicly about Ruggs’ sentencing but said shortly after the crash that killed Tina Tintor that he considers Ruggs to be like a brother while also recognizing the terrible harm done to Tintor and her loved ones.
“My heart breaks for everybody involved, the family of the young lady that lost her life,” Smith said in November 2021. “It was rough at the beginning of the week. But just coming in every day, being with the guys, they helped me out a lot. It was tough, but eventually the guys helped me get through it. Everybody lifted me up. The whole team.”
Tintor’s cousin, Daniel Strbac, read a statement from Tintor’s mother at the sentencing, saying that the family will never get over losing Tintor but also saying they hope Ruggs will be able to see his own young daughter grow up.
“We pray that this terrible accident inspires positive change in the world,” Strbac said.
The Raiders selected Ruggs with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He was midway through his second season when the crash happened. The Raiders released him immediately.