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Background

Henry James Ruggs III was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on January 24th, 1999. He started playing football at a young age, and middle school coaches could see that he had the potential to do big things.

Despite his success in middle school, he did not play football in his first and second years of high school.

When he finally took the field as a junior, he quickly became one of the best players in the state. He was so good, he received his first scholarship offer after his second game.

His athletic prowess extended beyond the football field. Ruggs also excelled in basketball and set a record in the 100-meter dash for his school’s division, showcasing his versatility and dedication to sports.

By the time he graduated, he was listed as the second-best football player in Alabama and had more than 20 scholarship offers.

He took his talents to the University of Alabama in 2017 and became a national champion as a freshman.

He put up great numbers as a receiver every year. During his junior year, he became the team’s primary punt returner, averaging nearly 24 yards per kick return.

He left the school in 2020 as third on the all-time receiving touchdown list, with 24.

NFL Career

He was selected 12th overall in the NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders on April 23rd, 2020.

Three months later, he signed a four-year contract worth 16.67 million dollars.

His first year was solid, and his second season started even better. Raiders fans were excited about his development, but their excitement quickly turned to anger.

Crime

In the early hours of November 2nd, 2021, Ruggs was with his girlfriend.
He was driving more than 127 miles per hour when he rear-ended a vehicle driven by Tina Tintor.

Ruggs and his girlfriend survived the crash, but Tintor burned to death along with her beloved dog, Max.

Police learned that Rugg’s blood alcohol level was point one six, double the legal limit. They charged him with DUI resulting in death and reckless driving.

The Raiders released him on the same day of the crash.

Legal Proceedings

The prosecution had fears that the blood test evidence would be thrown out, so they gave Ruggs a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to felony DUI resulting in death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. On August 9th, 2023, he was sentenced to 3 to 10 years.

Parole

Ruggs became eligible for parole in 2026, and if he got out, the 27-year-old could have resumed his NFL career if a team was willing to deal with the bad publicity, but his parole was denied.

According to ESPN, he will  be up for parole again on August 24th, 2027, and could appear in front of the parole board as early as May.