Nick Saban admits Henry Ruggs’ friends ‘failed him’ for his involvement in fatal DUI crash

Saban emphasized what would have happened if Ruggs' friends had the courage to confront him directly about the dangers of driving under the influence.

Nick Saban admits Henry Ruggs’ friends ‘failed him’ for his involvement in fatal DUI crash

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (Image via IMAGO)

Nick Saban, a man of faith, believed if former Alabama player Henry Ruggs III‘s friends had stopped him that day from overspeeding, perhaps he would not be sitting in jail. Ruggs, who was selected during the 2020 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, ended up in Nevada State Prison for driving under the influence.

The veteran former Bama head coach was a guest speaker at the Irondale Mayor prayer breakfast on Tuesday. Saban was asked about the influence of faith in his life. In reply, he highlighted the value of standing up for oneself. 

To prove his theory, Saban pointed out Henry Ruggs III’s mistake. Although he did mention the players’ name during the speech, his description of the event painted a clear picture.

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On November 2, 2021, just a year after moving to the Sin City, Ruggs found himself in an accident. The police investigation found that the wide receiver was driving under the influence. Ruggs was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in jail.

Nick Saban said the 25-year-old could have avoided all of this if he had friends who were willing to talk some sense into him.

While he was drinking, he had friends that could’ve told him, ‘You shouldn’t be driving; I’m not going to let you drive.
Nick Saban said per Al.com

However, it pained him that no one made an effort to deter Ruggs from the path of chaos.

But why did those friends not do that? Because they were afraid of what the guy would have thought of them if they told him to do that.
Nick Saban added

After the incident, the Raiders understandably cut Ruggs from the team. He currently earns $2.50 an hour in a Nevada prison.

A former teammate wants Henry Ruggs III released from jail

While the consensus was against Ruggs from the start because his actions took a man’s life, there have been a few who stood in support. One of his former teammates and current Green Bay Packers All-Pro return specialist, Keisean Nixon, feels that Ruggs should be free.

Nick Saban admits Henry Ruggs’ friends 'failed him' for his involvement in fatal DUI crash
Henry Ruggs III (Image via IMAGO)
Free HR3.
on April 28, Keisean Nixon wrote on X (formerly Twitter),

This came in the aftermath of another famous crash involving Super Bowl winner Rashee Rice. Similar to Ruggs, he was driving at high speed on the freeway in Dallas and collided with several other cars.

Unfortunately, there were no major casualties, as the victims survived with minor injuries, but the trauma of a near-death experience will always remain in their heads.

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