Ray Rice says he will donate his entire NFL salary to victims of domestic abuse if he is given another chance in the league.
The running back, 29, was released by the Baltimore Ravens after footage of him knocking his then fiancee and now wife out with a punch in an elevator surfaced in a case that drew considerable attention.
The attention it drew was caused in part due to the NFL's attempt to hide the fact that they had seen the footage and gave Rice such a lenient punishment.
“All the scrutiny that I’ve got, it was deserved, because domestic violence is a horrible thing,” he said.
“Me donating my salary is something that’ll be from the heart for me,” Rice continued. “I only want to play football so I can end it the right way for my kids and for the people that really believed in me. But I know there’s a lot of people affected by domestic violence, and every dollar helps. It’s raising awareness.
“People need homes. People need shelter when they’re in a crucial situation. I’ve donated a lot of money to charities, but I had a situation where it was a national crisis. I’m not saying I’d be (donating the salary) to get on the field, but it’s something that will show where my heart is. My heart is about finishing the right way and helping people along the way.”
Rice would make somewhere in the region of €800,000 for a year in the NFL but at 29, and not even considering the ethical side of the situation, the former player would possibly not add anything to any team at his age. Running backs typically start to decline at 29 and having missed out on the last couple of years, signing Rice would be of no benefit on or off the field to anyone in the league.
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