It's been several years since former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs was involved in a fatal accident that killed a 23-year-old woman and her dog. But he was on temporary release yesterday and used his time out wisely.
Ruggs was given his temporary release to speak at a "Hope for Prisoners" event where he apologized for his actions on that fateful day in 2021.
“One, I wish I could turn back the hands of time," Ruggs said. “I would love for them to meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one that was escaping from something.
"I sincerely apologize for not only being a part of that situation, but the fact my face is always in the news, it’s always in the newspaper.
"So they have to constantly be reminded of the situation, be reminded of me."
Ruggs was sentenced to 3-10 years in prison and will be up for parole next summer and if he's granted it.
So after his speech, he was asked if he's interested in returning to the NFL in the event that he gets out. Ruggs responded with a pretty resounding "yes."
“Yes, I would love to [play again],” Ruggs said, via Bryan Horwath of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’m in this newfound spiritual space, and I’m confident in who I am and what I can do, so, when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll be ready.”
Ruggs said that he'd be open to joining the Raiders too if they'll have him.
“Why would I not?” Ruggs said. “I don’t feel like I ended on the terms that are meaningful to me and my core values. I would love to play again, and what better place to do it than where I started? Not to mention, I was the first-ever pick in Las Vegas.”
Prior to his conviction, Ruggs appeared to be on track to develop into a pretty good wide receiver. He averaged 17.4 yards per reception as a rookie in 2020 but looked better in 2021, averaging 19.5 yards per catch and had 469 yards on just 24 catches.
But Ruggs has to get out of prison before this is even a possibility. And he's got another full year at least before that even comes into play.
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