Former Las Vegas Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs is seeking forgiveness 21 months into his prison sentence after killing a woman while driving 156 mph in November 2021.
Ruggs, who was sentenced to three-to-10 years in prison in August 2023, was driving under the influence at two times the legal limit when he killed Tina Tintor and her dog in a fiery crash.
“One, I wish I could turn back the hands of time,” Ruggs said on special release while attending a Hope for Prisoners event, posted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I would love for them to meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one who 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. I would just tell them that I deeply apologize for all of that.”
Ruggs pleaded guilty in May 2023 to felony DUI causing death, as well as misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, and was sentenced that August.
The 26-year-old is eligible for parole in August 2026 and had been working last year at the Nevada Governor’s Mansion in Carson City through a “trusty program,” where he was making $2.50 an hour, the local CBS outlet reported in 2024.
Trusty inmates are described as “limited potential to misbehave and represent a low risk to escape.”
Ruggs will be 27 when he is given the chance to make parole.
The former 2020 first-round draft pick had tantalizing speed while playing for Alabama, running a 4.27-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
He tallied 50 catches for 921 yards in one-plus season before the tragic night that he killed the 23-year-old Tintor.
It is unclear if Ruggs will face additional punishment from the NFL once he is released from prison.