When live television demands immediate public execution, studio analysts are expected to fall in line. On September 14, 2014, as CBS prepared to address the leaked Ray Rice elevator video, executives needed a fiery, viral soundbite condemning the former Baltimore Ravens running back.

Throughout his NFL career as a running back for the Baltimore Ravens and the controversy surrounding footage of him beating his then-fiancée unconscious in a hotel elevator, Ray Rice has spoken about how the loss of his father to a drive-by shooting when he was just over one year old played a part in shaping his life. Rice’s tragic upbringing, which he’s admitted has been plagued by ...

When Ray Rice left Rutgers University in 2007 for the NFL draft, he made a serious promise to his grandparents, James and Amelia Reed: he would eventually come back and finish his degree. Life, football stardom, and a massive personal downfall got in the way.