Ray rice returned to the Baltimore Ravens Thursday, this time as a mentor for the rookies, instead of a player. According to the team, the running back visited his former stomping grounds to educate the first year rookies on the good and bad that he himself is all too familiar with.
If you recall, Rice was the star running back for the Ravens from ’08-’13, until a viral video of him knocking his then fiancée unconscious in an elevator surfaced. Immediately after the incident, the Ravens cut Rice. Since then, Rice has married the woman in the video, Janay Palmer, and has been extremely remorseful for his actions. The two are even expecting their second child. However despite his turn around, he has had no luck in rejoining the league.
The Ravens haven’t given up on him completely and announced that they recently brought him back as part of the organization’s “player engagement program,” meant to “review and teach life management and life lessons.”
Rice “delivered an important message that included his story, both the good and the bad,” Baltimore released in a statement. “He clearly had the attention of our rookies.”
Rookie offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley told TMZ, “Ray was very down to earth…he talked to us about life and how hard it is to be a pro athlete.”
I hope the rookies listened, after all Who better to learn from than someone who’s been in your shoes ?
Rice and Palmer, who has been extremely forgiving, have since been living happily married with their daughter Rayven, and are expecting another child soon.
