Ray Rice facts for kids
Rice with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009
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| No. 27 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 22, 1987 New Rochelle, New York, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 206 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | New Rochelle | ||||||||||||
| College: | Rutgers (2005–2007) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 2 / Pick: 55 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Raymell Mourice Rice (born January 22, 1987) is an American former professional football player. He was a running back for six seasons. He played for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL).
Ray Rice played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. He earned top honors as an All-American in 2007. The Ravens picked him in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. During his career, Rice was chosen for three Pro Bowls. He was also part of the team that won Super Bowl XLVII. He holds several records for the Ravens. He is second in the team's history for rushing yards and touchdowns.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Ray Rice was born in New Rochelle, New York, on January 22, 1987. He faced challenges early in life. His father passed away when Ray was very young. Later, his cousin also passed away in an accident.
Rice went to New Rochelle High School. There, he played football for coach Lou DiRienzo. He was the main running back for his team, the Huguenots. In 2003, Rice led his team to a state championship. They won against Webster Schroeder with a score of 32–6. In his senior year, New Rochelle High School lost only one game. Rice set a state record for rushing yards in a single game. He gained 462 yards in one game in 2004.
College Football Career
Rice attended Rutgers University–New Brunswick. He played football for the Scarlet Knights from 2005 to 2007. In his first year, Rutgers had a winning season. This was their first winning season in 13 years.
In 2006, the Scarlet Knights won 11 games. This was a school record. They also reached their highest national ranking ever, finishing at #12. As a freshman, Rice became the starting tailback. He rushed for 1,120 yards and scored five touchdowns.
As a sophomore, Rice gained 1,794 rushing yards. He also scored 20 touchdowns. This set a new record for Rutgers' single-season rushing yards. He was a finalist for the Maxwell Award. He also finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting. Rice was named Big East offensive player of the week three times in 2007. Each time, he rushed for over 200 yards. He had a career-high 225 yards against the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Rice ended his sophomore season with 170 yards in the first Texas Bowl. Rutgers won their first bowl game ever, 37–10. Rice was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game.
In 2007, Rice continued to break records. On October 6, he scored his 35th career rushing touchdown. This set a new program record. On November 9, he ran for 243 yards against the Army Black Knights. This was a new school record for single-game rushing yards. On January 5, 2008, at the International Bowl in Toronto, Rice ran for 280 yards. He also scored four touchdowns. Rutgers won 52–30. One of his touchdowns was a 90-yard run, his longest ever. Rice won the MVP award for this game too.
After this season, Rice decided to enter the 2008 NFL draft.
College Statistics
| Ray Rice | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | TD |
| 2005 | Rutgers | 12 | 195 | 1,120 | 5.7 | 5 | 8 | 65 | 0 |
| 2006 | Rutgers | 13 | 335 | 1,794 | 5.4 | 20 | 4 | 30 | 0 |
| 2007 | Rutgers | 13 | 380 | 2,012 | 5.3 | 24 | 25 | 239 | 1 |
| Total | 38 | 910 | 4,926 | 5.4 | 49 | 37 | 334 | 1 | |
Professional Career Highlights
The Baltimore Ravens drafted Ray Rice in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. He signed a four-year contract with the team. He played for coach John Harbaugh, who was also in his first year with the Ravens. Rice wore number 27, which was his number at Rutgers.
2008 Season: Rookie Year
Rice started his first NFL game in Week 1 of the 2008 season. He played against the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 22 carries for 64 yards in the Ravens' 17–10 win. His best game that season was in Week 9. He ran for 154 yards against the Cleveland Browns. Rice finished his rookie season with 546 rushing yards. He also had 273 receiving yards.
2009 Season: First Pro Bowl
Before the 2009 season, Rice became the starting running back for the Ravens. In the first game, he rushed for 108 yards. This was his second time rushing over 100 yards in a game. In Week 3, he scored his first professional touchdown. On October 11, he caught his first touchdown pass.
In Week 6, Rice led his team in both rushing and receiving yards. He rushed for 77 yards and scored two touchdowns. He also caught 10 passes for 117 yards. In Week 14, he had career-best numbers. He rushed for 166 yards and had 216 total yards. He scored one touchdown. In Week 16, Rice rushed for 141 yards. This broke a long streak for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished the season with 1,339 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Rice was chosen for his first Pro Bowl.
In the playoffs, Rice scored an 83-yard touchdown run. This was the longest play for the Ravens that season. It was also the second longest rush in NFL postseason history. He had 159 yards and two touchdowns in that game.
2010 Season: Continued Success
On December 20, 2010, Rice had a career-best game. He gained 233 yards from scrimmage against the New Orleans Saints. He also scored two touchdowns. This was the third most yards in Ravens history. He earned his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. In the playoffs, Rice became the first Ravens running back to have a receiving touchdown in a playoff game.
Rice finished the 2010 season with 1,220 rushing yards. He also had 556 receiving yards. His fellow players ranked him 56th among the top NFL players in 2011.
2011 Season: Top Performer
In the first game of the 2011 season, Rice gained 107 rushing yards. He also scored a rushing touchdown. He had 42 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. This was only the second time a running back gained over 100 rushing yards against the Steelers since 2009. Both times were by Rice.
In Week 13, Rice ran for 204 yards against the Cleveland Browns. This included a 68-yard touchdown. This was his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season. It was also his third year in a row with over 1,000 rushing yards. In Week 17, Rice rushed for 191 yards. He had a 70-yard touchdown run and a 51-yard touchdown. This helped the Ravens win their first division title under John Harbaugh. Rice finished the season with 1,364 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He was second in the league in rushing yards. He was first in total yards from scrimmage. Rice also had 704 receiving yards. He was selected for his second Pro Bowl. He was also voted to the NFL All-Pro Team.
2012 Season: Super Bowl Champion
On July 16, 2012, Rice signed a five-year, $35 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
On November 25, 2012, the Ravens were playing the San Diego Chargers. The Ravens were down by three points with less than two minutes left. Quarterback Joe Flacco passed to Rice. Rice avoided defenders for 29 yards and got a first down. This play helped the Ravens tie the game and win in overtime. Coach John Harbaugh called it a play that will "go down in history." Rice received the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for this. The play was nicknamed "Hey Diddle-Diddle."
He finished the 2012 season with 1,143 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He also had 61 receptions for 478 receiving yards. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time.
On February 3, 2013, the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. They defeated the San Francisco 49ers. This earned Rice his first and only Super Bowl ring. In the Super Bowl, Rice had 20 carries for 59 yards. He was ranked 13th among the top NFL players in 2013.
2013 Season: Final Year with Ravens
In 2013, Rice had a slower start due to an injury. He played in 15 games. In Week 11, he had his best game of the season. He rushed for 131 yards against the Chicago Bears. He finished the 2013 season with 660 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
End of Professional Career
Ray Rice's professional football career ended after the 2013 season. He was released by the Ravens in September 2014. He was also suspended by the NFL. Although he later won an appeal to be reinstated, no teams signed him. In 2016, he offered to donate his entire salary to charities if he were signed by a team, but he remained unsigned. In 2018, Rice announced that his football career was over.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2008 | BAL | 13 | 4 | 107 | 454 | 4.2 | 34.9 | 60 | 0 | 33 | 273 | 8.3 | 21.0 | 40 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009 | BAL | 16 | 15 | 254 | 1,339 | 5.3 | 83.7 | 59 | 7 | 78 | 702 | 9.0 | 43.9 | 63 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2010 | BAL | 16 | 14 | 307 | 1,220 | 4.0 | 76.3 | 50 | 5 | 63 | 556 | 8.8 | 34.8 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | BAL | 16 | 16 | 291 | 1,364 | 4.7 | 85.3 | 70 | 12 | 76 | 704 | 9.3 | 44.0 | 52 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 2012 | BAL | 16 | 16 | 257 | 1,143 | 4.4 | 71.4 | 46 | 9 | 61 | 478 | 7.8 | 29.9 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | BAL | 15 | 15 | 214 | 660 | 3.1 | 44.0 | 47 | 4 | 58 | 321 | 5.5 | 21.4 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Career | 92 | 80 | 1,430 | 6,180 | 4.3 | 67.2 | 70 | 37 | 369 | 3,034 | 8.2 | 33.0 | 63 | 6 | 9 | 8 | |
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2008 | BAL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 14.3 | 21.5 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | BAL | 2 | 2 | 35 | 226 | 6.5 | 113.0 | 83 | 2 | 9 | 60 | 6.7 | 30.0 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 | BAL | 2 | 2 | 29 | 89 | 3.1 | 44.5 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 74 | 6.2 | 37.0 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | BAL | 2 | 2 | 42 | 127 | 3.0 | 63.5 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 31 | 6.2 | 15.5 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | BAL | 4 | 4 | 84 | 306 | 3.6 | 76.5 | 32 | 2 | 8 | 88 | 11.0 | 22.0 | 47 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Career | 12 | 10 | 191 | 750 | 3.9 | 62.5 | 83 | 5 | 37 | 296 | 8.0 | 24.7 | 47 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
Awards and Achievements
- Super Bowl champion (XLVII)
- 3× Pro Bowl selection (2009, 2011, 2012)
- 2× Second-team All-Pro selection (2009, 2011)
- AFC rushing touchdowns leader (2011)
- NFL scrimmage yards leader (2011)
- First-team All-American (2007)
- Second-team All-American (2006)
- 2× First-team All-Big East (2006, 2007)
Community Work and Speaking
Ray Rice is known for his community service. In 2012, he was voted Baltimore's most charitable person. He supported causes like the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He also helped with cyberbullying prevention and aid for people experiencing homelessness. In 2016, Rice and a friend gave Christmas presents to children from low-income families.
Since his football career ended, Rice has become a motivational speaker. He talks to high school students and college athletes. He shares his experiences to help others learn and make good choices.
