The second-year wide receiver has been a full participant so far during the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason program, yet it’s not what Rashee Rice has been doing that caught attention, but rather what he said. Indeed, in his first public comments about a high-speed crash that led to him being charged, Rice spoke to the idea of maturing.
“I’ve learned so much from [the car crash],” Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice told the press at a Kansas City youth camp on Saturday. In attendance with fellow Chiefs wide receivers, Rice went on to explain the idea of moving forward from his mistakes. “All I can do is mature and continue to grow from that. This is a step in a better direction for me. Accidents and stuff like that happen, but all you can do is move forward and walk around being the same person, try to be positive so that everybody can feel your love and your great energy.”
The 24-year-old was of course arrested in April following his involvement in a six-vehicle crash in Dallas. It was later understood that Rice was racing other cars at speeds up to 119 miles per hour at the time the accident occurred. What followed was a brief manhunt as he seemingly attempted to evade the police, before finally turning himself in. To that end, Rice has since been charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and six counts of collision involving injury. Reports also indicate that two of the alleged victims of the crash are currently suing Rice for $10 million in punitive damages stemming from the incident.
Where the Chiefs are concerned, the team has continued to be publicly supportive of Rice since the incident with quarterback Patrick Mahomes speaking directly about his teammate last month. “I think we try to just do whatever we can to teach him how to learn from his mistakes,” Mahomes said last month. “Obviously that (accident) was a big mistake, but you have to learn from it, make sure it doesn’t happen again, and try to do whatever you can to be the best person you can be in society, not only for yourself but for the people around you. And I think he is doing that. But right now, we’re just gonna keep trying to do whatever we can to get him on the right path so that he can be a great football player, obviously, but we want him to be a great person, too.”
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice gave his first public remarks about his tumultuous offseason Saturday, saying his focus is to “mature and continue to grow.”
Rice, 24, spoke to reporters Saturday while participating in a youth football camp in Kansas City along with fellow Chiefs wideouts Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore.
Rice was arrested in April following a multiple-vehicle car crash in Dallas, and he also is a suspect in a separate incident in an alleged assault at a Dallas nightclub in May.
He said Saturday he is working to improve as a person.
“I’ve learned so much from that,” he said. “All I can do is mature and continue to grow from that. This is a step in a better direction for me.”
Rice, who has taken part in offseason practices with the Chiefs, said he has leaned on his teammates for support in the wake of the two incidents and is focusing on the future.
“Accidents and stuff like that happen, but all you can do is move forward and walk around being the same person, try to be positive so that everybody can feel your love and your great energy,” he said.
Rice was arrested this spring in Dallas and charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury for his involvement in a six-car crash on a freeway. Police have alleged that Rice was racing another vehicle at high speeds and was traveling as fast as 119 mph shortly before the crash.
He is being sued in Texas for more than $1 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages by two people who say they were injured in the crash.
Dallas police also are investigating an alleged May 6 assault at a Dallas nightclub in which Rice is reportedly a suspect. Police have since said that the man who was injured in the assault has asked police not to file charges. The investigation is ongoing.
Rice led the team’s receivers with 79 catches, 938 yards and a team-leading seven touchdown receptions en route to Kansas City’s second straight Super Bowl.
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After the high of winning football’s grand prize, Rice and his former SMU teammate Theodore Knox were involved in a Dallas, Texas multi-vehicle crash on March 30 and both are facing eight criminal charges.
Both are also facing lawsuits worth millions of dollars from the victims of the crash.
Rice is also under investigation for allegedly punching a photographer in a Dallas nightclub on May 6 but the photographer has signaled that he wants the charges dropped.
At a football camp hosted by Chiefs receivers Skyy Moore, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, Mecole Hardman and Rice, Rice said that he is “great” and taking life “day by day”.
“Being grateful for every day,” he said. “Nothing possible without the grace of God so we just out here trying to share the love and be blessed for every opportunity we get.
“I’ve learned so much from [the offseason troubles]. All I can do is mature and continue to grow from that. This is a step in a better direction for me. Accidents and stuff like that happen but all you can do is kind of move forward and walk around being the same person and try to be positive so that everybody could feel your love and your good energy.”
Rice said he’s leaning on his team and the Kansas City community as he navigates his legal troubles. He has been participating in the Chiefs’ offseason workout and head coach Andy Reid has said he will continue to do so.
Veteran receiver Hardman re-signed with the Chiefs on Thursday, practiced on Friday at organized team activities and gave some generic advice to kids at the camp and young players on the team.
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“Keeping the main thing, the main thing man, doing everything the right way,” Hardman said. “I think people get the wrong impression of the good thing is like lame or boring. But at the end of the day when you start growing up man, all the good things will get you where you need to be and living the right way.
“With the younger guys on the team, you got Shee, you got Xavier and you guys a lot of young guys coming in, just buy into the system, work hard, you know, stay out the way, and everything will fall in place. Just trying to keep them afloat.”
Above all, each player was more than happy to show kids that they too have a shot at being an NFL player because they used to be where those kids are now.
“It’s very important,” Brown said. The camp was his idea to start. “I remember when I was younger, I always wanted to go to those counselors like guys and I never was able to because they’re always paid. So just to be able to come out here and spend time, give back, it means a lot to me.”
“It’s about a fellowship,” Brown explained. “Whenever you can just have a conversation with kids, anybody from different backgrounds and, you know, all places around the world. I feel like it’s important. I feel like, as humans, that’s what’s needed more in this world.”
“Super fun,” Moore said. “It reminds me of like back home in Pittsburgh. We always grow up and you kind of like forget like forget where you came from. Not forget where you came from but like you’re so present in the now like I’m worried about plays not you know little youth football teams right now. So come back here and get in contact with the community man it feels great.”
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