Greg Hardy is the de facto bad guy of the NFL after pictures emerged from his alleged beating of an ex-girlfriend. However, he’s lucky to still have a job — just ask Ray Rice.
Rice has been virtually blackballed by the NFL since video footage of him punching his then-fiancée (now wife) in an Atlantic City elevator. Now away from the game, Rice is offering advice for Greg Hardy on how to deal with the backlash of his actions.
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“One thing I would encourage Greg (to do) is to take a deeper look into what the severity of domestic violence is,” Rice said on WFAN’s “Boomer & Carton Show” (via CBS New York). "It’s better late than never.”
It doesn’t seem Hardy has taken that deeper look into domestic violence Rice is referencing. Despite the constant attention and scrutiny of his every move, Hardy has continued to paint himself in a bad light with ill-advised locker room comments, sideline fights and social media gaffes.
Hardy has still managed to produce for the Cowboys, but his play on the field isn’t what will put him back in the good graces of anyone, Rice says.
“You have to be sincere in your actions,” Rice said. “Show it on and off the field. Take that uniform and use it for what it’s worth. You don’t have to win another football game, you don’t need another dollar to go out and make a difference in other peoples’ lives.”
Rice was released from the Ravens shortly after the elevator footage of his domestic dispute hit the Internet. Hardy, however, not only cashed his franchise-player salary from the Panthers in 2014 while sitting on the commissioners exempt list, but he signed a deal worth upwards of $11 million with the Cowboys in the offseason, too.
As much as Rice would relish the second chance Hardy was given, he seems satisfied with where he is.
"My second chance is right now," Rice said. “I was at a point where I didn’t know how to live. I’m thankful for the opportunity to go out there and make a difference. If I don’t have a second chance on the field with the NFL, I would love to work with them to help make a difference, speak to rookies or anybody else they wanted me to. I know I can make a difference.”