Nearly four years after a tragic car crash that changed multiple lives forever, former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs is speaking out — not just about his past, but about a future he still hopes includes football and the Raiders.
Ruggs, now 26, is currently serving a 3-to-10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to DUI resulting in death and vehicular manslaughter in a 2021 accident that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog. His Corvette was traveling nearly 160 mph at the time of the crash.
A Moment of Reflection
Granted a rare release to speak at a Hope for Prisoners event this week, Ruggs offered a heartfelt apology to Tintor’s family and shared his ongoing struggle with remorse and reflection.
“I wish I could turn back the hands of time,” Ruggs said. “I would love for [her family] to meet the real Henry Ruggs — not the one that was escaping from something.”
His voice, steady yet emotional, revealed a man who has spent the last few years confronting the weight of his actions. “My face is always in the news,” he continued. “So they have to constantly be reminded of the situation… and of me.”
An Unexpected Dream: Returning to the NFL
While Ruggs faces at least another year behind bars — he’ll be eligible for parole in August 2026 — he’s already thinking about what life could look like beyond prison. And that includes a surprising possibility: a return to the NFL.
“Yes, I would love to [play again],” Ruggs admitted when asked about his football future. “I’m in this newfound spiritual space, and I’m confident in who I am and what I can do… What better place to do it than where I started?”
He added, “I don’t feel like I ended on the terms that are meaningful to me and my core values.”
A Complicated Relationship With the Raiders
Ruggs was the first-ever draft pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, going 12th overall. He played 20 games across two seasons before the crash led to his arrest and release from the team.
Despite the gravity of the incident, Raiders owner Mark Davis expressed compassion for Ruggs in the aftermath.
“Henry Ruggs is still a human being… somebody that we want to help,” Davis said at the time. “We’re not going to abandon him. He’s part of our family.”
Whether that sentiment could eventually lead to a second chance with the team remains unknown — and controversial.
Should the Raiders Bring Him Back?
Ruggs’ statements spark an emotional and moral debate: Can — or should — someone who committed a fatal mistake be given a second chance in professional sports?
The conversation is complicated. Ruggs has taken responsibility, served prison time, and shown a desire to grow. But the pain caused to Tina Tintor’s family can never be erased.
For now, Ruggs’ future is uncertain. His parole hearing is more than a year away, and any return to the NFL would require the league’s approval. But as far as he’s concerned, the journey of rebuilding has already begun — and he’s hoping it might lead him back to the silver and black.
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