Ex-Ravens running back Ray Rice: 'I can still play football'

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:06 a.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, SI Wire/Sports Illustrated

Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice says he can still play football even though he hasn't appeared in a NFL regular season game since 2013 and adds the reason why he isn't playing in the NFL has nothing to do with his football skills.

Rice, 30, was suspended by the NFL in September 2014 and released by Baltimore after a video posted by TMZ.com showed Rice hitting his then then-fiancee in an Atlantic City elevator.

That suspension was later overturned by an arbitrator allowing him to possibly return to the NFL.

"The reason why I'm not playing football, you do the dots," Rice said, according to ESPN.com. "It ain't because I'm a bad football player. That's just keeping it real. I'm never giving up and never giving in."

Rice rushed for 6,180 yards and scored 70 touchdowns and also caught 369 passes for 3,064 yards in six NFL seasons.

In his last full season in the NFL, Rice had 660 and averaged only 3.1 yards per carry.

"I can still play football," Rice said. "I'm never going to give up. You're never going to hear me say I gave up. I got two beautiful kids, beautiful wife and family that I'm going to continue to take care of.

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