Disgraced NFL star Henry Ruggs III publicly apologizes to DUI crash victim's family during prison release

Disgraced former NFL star Henry Ruggs III has publicly apologized to the family of the woman he killed in a 2021 drunk-driving accident.

On Tuesday, three and a half years since the crash that took the lives of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog Max, the ex-Raiders receiver was granted special release to speak at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas.

'One, I wish I could turn back the hands of time,' the 26-year-old began, as seen in video from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

'I would love for them to meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one that was escaping from something,' he continued. 'I sincerely apologize for not only being a part of that situation, but the fact my face is always in the news, it's always in the newspaper. So they have to constantly be reminded of the situation, be reminded of me.'

This isn't the first time Ruggs has offered a publicly apology since pleading guilty to DUI and being sentenced to anywhere from three-to-10 years in prison. Prior to his incarceration, Ruggs addressed Tintor's family in a Nevada courtroom.

'To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of November 2, 2021 have caused you, your family and those who knew Ms. Tina and Max,' he said, according to multiple reports. 'I let my family, my teammates and those who believed in me down with my actions and hurt so many.'

Ruggs was cut by the Raiders following the pre-dawn crash as he recovered in a Las Vegas-area hospital. He and his fiancee were also injured in the collision.

In a statement read in court by Tintor´s cousin, David Strbac, Tintor´s mother, Mirjana Komazec, offered prayer for Ruggs and his young daughter.

'We pray that Henry Ruggs is blessed with the opportunity to be able watch his beautiful daughter grow into the amazing woman she can be,' Komazec's statement read.

'And we pray that this terrible accident inspires positive change in the world. We pray that we all take away the importance of looking out for one another, remembering everyone we meet is another human's loved one.'

Ruggs, a former Alabama star and the 12th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, has remained busy in prison, where he's continued to train in hopes of an NFL return, according to former teammate, Josh Jacobs.

'Keeping up with him and hearing him talk, it brings me spirits, because he's always positive,' Jacobs, who now plays for the Green Bay Packers, told the Pivot Podcast in April. 

'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,' Jacobs continued. 

'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.'