Ray Rice Apologizes to Baltimore for ‘Horrible Mistake’

Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice has penned a long apology to the city following the vicious assault on his then-fiancée in an Atlantic City elevator and his subsequent suspension and release from the team. “To all the kids who looked up to me, I’m truly sorry for letting you down, but I hope it’s helped you learn that one bad decision can turn your dream into a nightmare,” Rice wrote in a statement that was first posted on Facebook.

Although Rice was reinstated by the NFL in early December, following the Ravens terminating his contract, no teams were willing to sign the free agent. Rice’s domestic abuse charges, as well as the NFL’s initial lax response to the charges, enraged both football fans and the general public, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell taking the brunt of the blame. The NFL later attempted to mollify the situation by aligning with No More to produce a series of anti-domestic violence ads, including one PSA shown during Super Bowl XLIX.

“There is no excuse for domestic violence, and I apologize for the horrible mistake I made,” Rice wrote. “I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope to make a positive difference in people’s lives by raising awareness of this issue.” It’s unclear why Rice chose to issue his statement now other than the running back recently settled a lawsuit with his former employers, and the culmination of an NFL season that was marred by Rice, the Rihanna and CBS beef, the Adrian Peterson child abuse scandal and Deflategate.

Read the entirety of Ray Rice’s apology letter to Baltimore:

Dear Baltimore, This is not a farewell or goodbye. The last seven years that my family and I have spent in Baltimore have by far been the best of our lives. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for the love and support you’ve shown my family and I throughout my football career. We’ll always be grateful for the love we’ve received from all of our fans and supporters, and for winning a Super Bowl. To all the kids who looked up to me, I’m truly sorry for letting you down, but I hope it’s helped you learn that one bad decision can turn your dream into a nightmare.

There is no excuse for domestic violence, and I apologize for the horrible mistake I made. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope to make a positive difference in people’s lives by raising awareness of this issue. Thank you, Baltimore Ravens, for all you have done for my family and I. I’m very grateful to Steve Bisciotti, Ozzie Newsome, John Harbaugh, and everyone at 1 Winning Drive. I love you all very much, and I’ll always be proud to say I played for the Baltimore Ravens. Thank you, Ray Rice.