Ray Rice Addressed Ravens Rookies in Player Engagement Program

Former running back Ray Rice was at the Baltimore Ravens' facility on Wednesday to address the team's rookies as part of a player engagement program, the Ravens announced Thursday on Twitter.    

Baltimore also issued a statement explaining its decision to let Rice speak, via its official Twitter account: 

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Our 27 sessions to our rookies through our player engagement program review and teach life management and life lessons. Rice, who played for the Ravens from 2008-2014, delivered an important message that included his story, both the good and the bad. He clearly had the attention of our rookies.

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Per the NFL, the program's mission is to "have a positive impact on values and culture while promoting the personal and professional growth of players and their families before, during and beyond their NFL experience."

Rice played for the Ravens from 2008 to 2013, running for more than 1,000 yards in four straight seasons and helping lead the team to a Super Bowl victory to conclude the 2012 season. 

In February 2014, Rice and his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, were arrested at a casino in Atlantic City. Both were charged with simple assault-domestic violence.

The next month Rice was indicted by a grand jury on third-degree aggravated assault, though a judge later dismissed the charges after Rice paid $125 in fines and underwent anger-management counseling. 

In September 2014, TMZ Sports obtained hotel surveillance footage from the Atlantic City casino that showed Rice knocking out Palmer with a punch. He was released by the Ravens on September 8 and suspended indefinitely by the NFL, though he later won an appeal of the suspension and was reinstated and eligible to sign with any team. 

Rice has not played in the NFL since December 29, 2013. The 29-year-old told TMZ Sports in January he is "never going to give up" on trying to continue his career.