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Ray Rice Wins Appeal;  Reinstated by NFL

Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice has won his appeal and been reinstated by the National Football League as of Friday,

Albert Breer of NFL.com provided Rice’s statement:

“I would like to thank Judge Barbara Jones, the NFL Players Association, my attorneys, agents, advisors, family, friends and fans – but most importantly, my wife Janay. I made an inexcusable mistake and accept full responsibility for my actions. I am thankful that there was a proper appeals process in place to address this issue. I will continue working hard to improve myself and be the best husband, father and friend, while giving back to my community and helping others to learn from my mistakes.”

An appeal hearing regarding Rice’s indefinite suspension began in New York on Nov. 5, and league commissioner Roger Goodell was forced to testify. That served as the primary catalyst for Rice’s return.

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported this last Sunday that a decision on Rice’s appeal would arrive within the next week.

Rice had his Baltimore Ravens contract terminated and was indefinitely suspended by the NFL in early September when video surfaced of him punching his then-fiancee and current wife Janay Palmer.

Initially suspended for just two games prior to the video surfacing, the released footage caused Rice to be ousted from football for an extended period of time. Immediately following the video’s release, the NFL issued a statement to explain why its disciplinary action changed.

“We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator,” read the statement, via The Washington Post‘s Mark Maske. “That video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until today.”

That type of backlash is what Rice faced when TMZ Sports released the video. Even though he’s been reinstated, all 32 NFL teams will likely be hesitant to bring Rice in on even a short-term contract.

For someone who had such a clean image prior to the incident, Baltimore initially gave Rice the benefit of the doubt. But once the tape came out and the brutality and intent of Rice’s actions were evident, his release was immediate, and the NFL reacted swiftly, too.

There’s a need for Rice to establish himself in a new locker room, where many players likely have lost respect for him in light of his public domestic violence saga. Clearing both physical and mental hurdles will be key in Rice’s bid to return to the NFL gridiron.

Given his history of production, Rice may inevitably generate some interest from teams with dire running back situations now that he’s eligible to play. But it may be difficult for Rice to convince an organization to take a chance on him due to the complicated situation created by his recent, unfortunate past.

 

via BleacherReport