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Henry Ruggs III seeks release on parole five years after deadly crash
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- Henry Ruggs III seeks release on parole five years after deadly crash
Henry Ruggs III parole DUI
Former first-round pick Henry Ruggs III wants out from behind bars.
The ex-NFL receiver, who was drafted with the 12th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, killed Tina Tintor and her dog while driving — at two times the legal limit while under the influence of alcohol — at 156 mph.
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Ruggs was sentenced to three to 10 years in a Nevada state prison following his guilty plea in December 2023.
Henry Ruggs III is seeking parole after three years in prison. Getty Images
Ruggs III becomes eligible for parole on Aug. 5 and has initiated the process to seek his release, AL.com reported .
"Not a minute goes by where I don't think of the pain I caused her family, her friends and the Las Vegas community," Ruggs told the parole board. "I'm a religious person and pray for her family daily."
Ruggs III was previously moved from a minimum-security transitional housing facility to a medium-security prison due to unspecified rules violations.
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He had reportedly been training for a potential NFL return in 2025 , as he has not given up on his NFL dreams.
Henry Ruggs III killed a woman and her dog in 2021 while driving under the influence. Getty Images
While a member of the Raiders, Ruggs really struggled to gain a footing in the league despite his lofty draft status.
Ruggs III combined for just 921 receiving yards in two seasons (20 games played) before his career cratered as a result of the fatal car crash and ensuing DUI.
The Raiders released Ruggs III after the incident and has been a free agent ever since, giving him the opportunity to sign anywhere if there's interest — though that's far from certain.
Ruggs III was an NFL Combine dynamo, running an absurd 4.27 40-yard dash just behind John Ross' record (at the time) of 4.22.
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He flew up draft boards immediately after the impressive showing but had a difficult time adding to his route tree and beating coverages consistently, while Derek Carr struggled to find him in stride.
