Disgraced running back Ray Rice has done a lot of apologizing over the past year, and he was saying sorry again on Friday, but this time it was to his fans.
Rice was suspended indefinitely last season after a video that depicted him punching his then-fiancée and knocking her out went public.
Rice issued a public apology to his wife and the Baltimore Ravens organization after the incident and this time he apologized to the fans.
"The last seven years that my family and I have spent in Baltimore have by far been the best of our lives," Rice said in a letter issued to The Baltimore Sun on Friday. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for the love and support you've shown my family and I throughout my football career. We'll always be grateful for the love we've received from all of our fans and supporters, and for winning a Super Bowl."
He continued: "To all the kids who looked up to me, I'm truly sorry for letting you down, but I hope it's helped you learn that one bad decision can turn your dream into a nightmare. There is no excuse for domestic violence, and I apologize for the horrible mistake I made. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope to make a positive difference in people's lives by raising awareness of this issue."
Despite the incident, Rice ended up marrying Janay Palmer last year and the two have attempted to move on from the incident, which occurred in a casino elevator in Atlantic City.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell originally suspended Rice for two games when the news went public, but after the video surfaced and the NFL looked bad, Goodell said he made a mistake and suspended Rice indefinitely.
Rice, a three-time Pro Bowler, appealed the suspension and won, but he wasn't signed by anyone upon being reinstated in November.
The publication reports that Rice is hopeful to sign with a team in the 2015 campaign and that he plans to move to New York.
Rice also thanked the Ravens organization, owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh in the letter.
"I love you all very much, and I'll always be proud to say I played for the Baltimore Ravens," he wrote.
Rice, 28, was drafted in the second round (55th overall) by the Ravens in the 2008 NFL Draft and amassed 6,180 rushing yards in 1,430 attempts while finding the end zone 37 times in 92 games.
Rice won Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens in 2013, marking the second Lombardi Trophy win in franchise history.
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