Henry Ruggs III Hoping for a Second Chance in NFL

In a recent interview with Ryan Clark, Green Bay Packers' running back and former Crimson Tide first-round draft pick Josh Jacobs touched on former Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, who is currently serving jail time after pleading guilty to one count of driving under the influence resulting in death (a felony) and one count of vehicular manslaughter (misdemeanor). Ruggs was speeding in the early morning of November 2, 2021, when his Corvette hit 23-year-old Tina Tintor, who died in the wreck.

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Jacobs said he is still in contact with Ruggs, who is now 26 years old, and that he is training while serving his jail time in hopes of a second chance at an NFL career.

"I still talk to Henry. Henry still calls me. I still help him out. ... We're still connected. I know his whole family. He's from Alabama. He played with me at Bama. His momma and them taught me how to bowl. ... Keeping up with him and hearing him talk, it brings me spirits, because he's always positive," Jacobs said on "The Pivot Podcast."

Jacobs is doing all he can to help Ruggs get another chance at an NFL career.

"He's positive about everything. He's training. They let him train and things like that, so I'm like, 'When you come out, man, I don't know if you will get a chance.' I've been talking to some people for him. They've been saying a couple of teams are willing to give him a chance. I'm like, 'When you get that chance, man, you better not ever, don't look back, and prove to yourself and prove to everybody that one decision don't define you and who you are as a man.'"

Ruggs' guilty plea resulted in his imprisonment for 36 to 120 months for the first charge and six months for the second charge. According to the Nevada Department of Corrections record, Ruggs becomes eligible for parole on August 5, 2026.

"I instantly get mad," Jacobs said when he found out about the wreck. "And then when I start finding out more about the story and about how they were supposed to be racing. I'm like, 'Who was he with?' But he was with his family. So I went to his house. I had some words with some people over there, and I'm just like, 'Man, y'all got to understand, like, he the breadwinner of the family. He the one changing all of y'all's lives. Everybody.'

Ruggs and Jacobs played together for two seasons in Las Vegas. Jacobs was the Raiders' first-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, while Ruggs was the Raiders' first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

"And then not only that, he's a good kid," Jacobs continued, "he's never been in trouble. I've never seen him do nothing crazy. He was just one of them guys that have a very, very unfortunate situation and something happened, a decision that he made. That's what hurt me the most. Man, he isn't somebody you would look at and be like, 'Bro, you deserved this to happen to you.'"

Henry Ruggs III was drafted with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. In three seasons at Alabama, Ruggs totaled 98 catches for 1,716 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Through 20 games with the Las Vegas Raiders, Ruggs caught 50 passes for 921 yards and four touchdowns before he was arrested in November 2021.

The Raiders released his rights following his arrest, so if Ruggs is able to make an NFL return, he will be able to sign with any team.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.