Were fame and fortune - or Ray Rice's inability to master them - the impetus behind his infamous punch of his then-fiancée?
A national organization working to end violence against women told ESPN in a recent interview that it believes the former Baltimore Ravens running back deserves a second chance in the NFL. Tony Porter and Ted Bunch, the founders of A Call To Men told ESPN that the running back has been accountable for his actions.
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But a Baltimore Sun article revealed that Rice has been on a slippery slope during his last three seasons with the Ravens, in which he was ill-equipped to handle the success he had achieved with the team, leading to departure in character from the humble kid during his initial years in Baltimore.
"And during Rice's early years, I just remember a humble kid, one of the most polite and well-mannered players I ever met," Baltimore Sun writer Mike Preston said. "You could tell there had been some structure and discipline in his life.
"All of that, including the messages he delivered in those anti-bullying campaigns, appeared to be real and pure, not just some facade to create an image in the community.
"Part of what happened to Rice happens to a lot of successful athletes. He couldn't handle the fame and the fortune and his head just got bigger and bigger, to the point where he alienated teammates and assistant coaches during his last three seasons in Baltimore.
"According to several of them, the height of Rice's arrogance came after the play he made against San Diego and then after the Super Bowl XLVII win. He became a walking time bomb."
It would stand to reason that the episode that Rice and now-wife Janay have had to endure would ensure humility within Rice if he ever gets another chance in the league.
"He's held himself accountable," Bunch said. "He is saying everything that you would want him to say and doing everything that you would want him to do. So why wouldn't he deserve another chance? His work in the area of educating young men is more important than him getting back on the field. He knows that and has said that to us. He is seeing the bigger picture. He has a desire to compete again, but also to make a difference in the world. This is what mistakes should be about: learning from them and teaching others. We've been in front of a lot of batterers. He is as transparent as I've seen, and as sincere as I've seen."
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