Ray Rice after domestic violence incident: 'I don’t love football more than ... my wife'
Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is doing everything he can to win back public approval after being the aggressor in a domestic violence incident that led to his release and brought about the apparent end to his NFL career.
Rice, who was suspended indefinitely after the assault - and subsequently re-instated - spoke to New York Magazine's Steve Fishman, ostensibly to woo the American public that turned on him after video of his attack on then-fiancee, and current wife, Janay Palmer was made public by TMZ.
The 28-year-old attempted to present himself as a figure worthy of empathy throughout the interview.
"The hardest part for me was people who don’t know me at all were writing about me or talking about me. I understand the seriousness of what I did. But I’m like, Man, they just don’t know who I am," Rice said.
Rice, a three-time Pro Bowler, missed the entire 2014 season and still finds himself without a team.
Both Rice and Palmer spoke about the struggles they encountered with the running back's ascending stardom.
"It got to the point where if she had an issue, I would basically just go silent,” Rice said. "There wasn't a lot of yelling, screaming, nothing. I would just wake up, go to practice. Then game day gets here. I'd rush for three touchdowns. The family's over at the house. She's still got that problem she’s thinking about. And I think, I scored three touchdowns today. Everything's all right."
"That’s not what a man does," Palmer recalled telling her husband. "I know what a man is supposed to be. I know how a man acts in a relationship. I know what a father is. I experienced it."
Palmer said Rice has been very involved with family activities, namely raising their daughter. However, he hasn't fully accepted that his NFL career may have come to an end.
"Honestly, it would hurt, because I didn't leave the game the way I wanted to. I didn't leave the game because I wasn't good enough. I've still got a whole lot of game, and I’m not ready to call it quits," Rice said.
"But I don’t love football more than I love my wife."