Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III apologized to the family of the woman killed in a 2021 collision when his sports car struck her vehicle.
Ruggs, 26, was on a special release from prison to speak at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas, where he was asked what he would say to the family of Tina Tintor, the driver of the other vehicle. She was 23 at the time of her death, and her dog was also killed in the crash.
“I wish I could turn back the hands of time. I would love for them to meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one that was escaping from something,” he said in a video posted via X by Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I sincerely apologize for not only being a part of that situation, but the fact that … my face is always in the news. My face is always in the newspaper. So, they have to constantly be reminded of the situation. Be reminded of me. Those memories have to continue to rise because of all of the fame and notoriety that I have.”
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“I would just tell them that I deeply apologize for just being a part of that,” he added. “And I wish that they could meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one who was just running away from everything.”
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Ruggs pleaded guilty in May 2023 to felony DUI causing death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter after driving his car at speeds up to 156 miles per hour the night of the crash. He was sentenced that August to three to 10 years in prison.
The former first-round pick explained that at the time, he had turned to drinking to cope with the pressures that came with the money and fame of being an NFL player. His blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit at the time of his arrest.
Ruggs will be eligible for parole in August 2026, and he added at the event that he would like another shot at the NFL when he is released.
“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,” he said.
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Josh Jacobs, Ruggs’ former teammate with the Raiders and at the University of Alabama, said in April that the wide receiver is doing his best to stay in game shape while in prison.
“Keeping up with him and hearing him talk, it brings me spirits, because he’s always positive,” Jacobs said on Ryan Clark’s “The Pivot Podcast.” “He’s positive about everything. He’s training. They let him train and things like that, so I’m like, ‘When you come out, man, I don’t know if you will get a chance.’ I’ve been talking to some people for him. They’ve been saying a couple of teams are willing to give him a chance.”
The Raiders released Ruggs after his arrest, and it is still possible the NFL could hand out an additional suspension if he signs with another team.
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