Ray Rice says he’s a rehabilitated man, and he wants everyone to know it.
Rice, the poster boy for violence against women among NFL players, again scolded Greg Hardy over Hardy’s role in an assault on his ex-girlfriend, telling WFAN the unrepentant Cowboys defensive end needs to “take a deeper look into what the severity of domestic violence is.”
“When I look at a guy like Greg Hardy, I think of the situation as something like, ‘What can I do to help him?'” Rice said. “If I was able to have a sit-down with Greg, I would tell him everything I’ve done, everything that transpired in my life, so you can understand the severity of domestic violence. There’s different levels to understanding this. It’s not an overnight process.”
Rice hasn’t played in the NFL since he was suspended indefinitely at the outset of the 2014 season following publication of footage showing Rice punching his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, in a hotel elevator. In a sequence that was mirrored when photos depicting the injuries to Hardy’s alleged victim were circulated this month, the outrage at Rice transformed at the sight of the punch, as opposed to reading his admission in court or viewing earlier footage of him dragging his now-wife’s unconscious body from the elevator.
Now, while the 28-year-old running back languishes on the NFL unemployment line, Rice has made a habit of speaking out against domestic violence.
Earlier this month, Rice went on ESPN to discuss the Hardy case. During the interview, Rice said he wants to work with the NFL to speak to young players in an effort to increase awareness of domestic violence issues in the league and elsewhere.
“It really shouldn’t take photos or anything to understand the severity of domestic violence,” he said then. “It does continue to raise awareness. It’s just a tough deal that it takes a visual for the severity to be known. Condolences go out to the survivors of domestic violence.”
So, this begs the question: Is Rice trying to mentor Hardy out of newfound wisdom and the goodness of his heart, or is he angling for a new job?