Since the last round of exclusive interviews designed to drum up sympathy and/or a job didn’t work, Ray Rice gave it another shot Tuesday.
The former Ravens running back, who has been out of the NFL since punching his wife in the face, said he wants back in the league, but also to change the storyline of his career.
“I’m not afraid to say right now I’m a rehabilitated man,” Rice said on ESPN’s SportsCenter, via USA Today. “Some people will probably never forgive my actions but I think, . . . over time I want to be able to rewrite the script.”
Of course, it’s not the script so much as the video, as the images of him punching Janay Rice in a casino elevator created a visceral reaction, forcing the Ravens and the NFL to wake up and realize a two-game suspension wasn’t going to be enough (and that triggered a whole other set of issues for the league).
Rice said he was taking accountability for his actions, and is worried about how his daughter will view him as she gets older. He also hopes she’ll get to see him play again.
“I have a lot of hope and faith that I’ll be able to hang ‘em up the right way. That’s what’s keeping me going, keeping me working,” he said. “I always preach, one or two bad decisions, your dream can become a nightmare. Well, I had to eat my own words. I truly lived a nightmare. I’m just really hopeful for a second chance.”
This isn’t the first time he’s made such statements, and the league has continued to collectively shrug. While players such as Greg Hardy can find work easily because they offer something other than bad P.R., Rice’s 3.1 yards per carry average remains a convenient reason for most to hope his second chance comes with another team.
