Former NFL WR Henry Ruggs Speaks Publicly For The First Time Since 2021 DUI That Tragically Killed A Woman & Her Dog

Henry Ruggs III speaks publicly for the first time since his involvement in the tragic 2021 car accident.

Back in 2023, former Alabama and NFL standout wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was sentenced to 3-10 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter. The sentence stemmed from a tragic incident that took place two years prior, when Ruggs was found to be driving 156 miles per hour while under the influence when his vehicle struck the vehicle of 23-year-old Tina Tintor. The vehicle immediately burst into flames and both Tina and her dog were killed in the blaze.

Naturally, as Ruggs serves his prison sentence, we haven’t heard much out of him in the sports world. That changed on Tuesday, when the former football player was granted special release to speak at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a video that has gotten a lot of attention online, one of the questions that Ruggs was asked was what he wishes he could tell the Tintor family who lost their loved one far too soon.

Here’s what Ruggs had to say:

“One, 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. I sincerely apologize for not only being a part of that situation, but the fact my face is always in the news, it’s always in the newspaper.

So they have to constantly be reminded of the situation, be reminded of me and those memories continue to rise… I would just tell them that I deeply apologize for being a part of that, and I wish that they could meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one that was just running away from everything.”

You can definitely hear the hurt in the former first-round draft pick’s voice, and what he’s saying there does seem to be genuine. But obviously, the Tintor family reserves the right to never “meet the real Henry Ruggs,” though that would be quite the moment of forgiveness if it ever did happen.

As for what’s next for Henry Ruggs, the former NFL wide receiver has the chance to be released from prison in the next year or so. And in a recent interview with Josh Jacobs, a former teammate of Ruggs, the running back revealed that he’s had conversations with the imprisoned 26-year-old, and that Ruggs is hoping to make a comeback in the NFL.

Jacobs said that Ruggs has been training to stay in football shape, and he also stated that he’s told his former teammate to not just assume that NFL teams would welcome him back with open arms:

“Keeping up with him and hearing him talk, it brings me spirits, because he’s always positive. 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. I’m like, ‘When you get that chance, man, you better not ever – don’t look back, and prove to yourself and prove to everybody that one decision don’t define you and who you are as a man.”

That would be quite the incredible NFL comeback if Henry Ruggs has actually been able to stay in football shape while serving time.

Though Jacobs insists that there are a couple of teams out there that would bring Ruggs on, but I’d imagine that a lot of NFL organizations would prefer to stay away from the media attention that could come with bringing on a player with vehicular manslaughter on his record. So I guess only time will tell if Ruggs has maintained enough to step right back into the league, and if anyone in NFL would be willing to let him do so.

But at the very least, seeing him speak at a Hope For Prisoners event is hopefully a step in the right direction for Henry Ruggs III.The post Former NFL WR Henry Ruggs Speaks Publicly For The First Time Since 2021 DUI That Tragically Killed A Woman & Her Dog first appeared on Whiskey Riff.