New Rochelle Native, NFL Star Ray Rice Reinstated To NFL

By Tom Davis (Patch Staff)

Former New Rochelle resident and Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, suspended for his videotaped attack on his fiancee, has been reinstated to the NFL after winning his appeal of an indefinite suspension.

Rice is eligible to sign with any NFL team now that U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones, who heard the running back’s appeal earlier this month, concluded that Rice did not lie or mislead NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, according to ESPN.

In her decision, she said the NFL Players Association “carried its burden” of showing that Rice did not mislead Goodell at a June 16 meeting, making the imposition of a second suspension ”arbitrary,” according to ESPN.

In September, hours after TMZ Sports revealed a video showing Rice assaulting his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City elevator, the Baltimore Ravens cut Rice from the team. The NFL subsequently suspended Rice indefinitely.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell initially suspended Rice for two games. NFL officials said in a statement in September that its personnel had not seen the video during their investigation and that despite requesting all materials from law enforcement, they had not seen the footage until the TMZ video went public.

In late August, the NFL changed its policy on domestic violence after being harshly criticized in the wake of Rice’s sentence; going forward, players face six-game suspensions for first-time offenses and a lifetime ban for second offenses.

TMZ Sports released footage in September showing the assault that took place Feb. 15 in which Rice knocked his then-fiancee - and current wife - Janay Palmer unconscious in an elevator at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City.

Previously, the public saw video from the aftermath of the fight, in which Rice could be seen pulling Palmer, who appeared unconscious, from the elevator.

Rice was admitted to a pretrial intervention program in New Jersey for the assault charge and reported that he and his wife (he and Palmer were married the day after he was indicted) were undergoing counseling.

Rice had been with the Ravens for seven years and was a three-time Pro Bowler drafted in the second round in 2008 out of Rutgers University. He signed a five-year contract extension with the Ravens in 2012 worth $40 million, according to ESPN, after the team won the Super Bowl.