WESTMINSTER, Md. (AP) -When he was 12 years old, Ray Rice swept up clippings in a barber shop to help his mother support the family.
Rice’s father, Calvin Reed, was killed in a drive-by shooting when Ray was only 1. As the oldest of four children, Rice grew up with far more responsibility than most of his friends in New Rochelle, N.Y.
“I told him he was the man of the house,” said Janet Rice, Ray’s mother. “He took that and ran with it.”
Rice never relented in his effort to reach the NFL, but that didn’t stop him from joining the work force before becoming a teenager.
“I just felt that if I was able to go out and make money on my own that I wouldn’t need to ask my mother for as much,” Rice said. “That wasn’t a knock on her; I knew she had too many bills to take care of. I was able to get my brothers and sisters stuff. I wasn’t too worried about myself.”
His generosity became more widespread as he grew into a talented running back for Rutgers, and remained a priority this spring as he prepared for his second NFL season with the Baltimore Ravens.
ball clinic for 500 kids, the culmination of a two-day event in New Rochelle that began with him receiving the key to the city on “Ray Rice Day.”
Janet Rice is proud of her son for his accomplishments on the football field, but her pride really shows when talking about his character.
“At any given time, it doesn’t matter where he is, he’s always giving,” she said. “He’ll go to the complex where we used to live and give out shoes, footballs, pictures, and will sign autographs for hours.”
Football fans might think Ray Rice is at his best when slashing through the line. That’s because they haven’t seen him when he walks into the special education class his mom teaches at the Henry Barnard School.
“It’s beautiful,” Janet Rice said. “He treats them like kids, interaction with them and giving them a lot of love without babying them.”
Ray said, “Those kids just need a little bit of time and care and they’re ready to go. They might not be able to do some things physically, but they have heart. My mom kind of feels like they’re her kids, and she’s taking care of them. That’s why she’s still there today.”
At his football clinic, which was backed in part by the NFL Youth Football Fund, Rice brought along Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who marveled at the manner in which his teammate communicated with the children.
and loved the fact that he was in the NFL. I don’t know how many of them were Baltimore Ravens fans, but I’m sure there are a handful that keep an eye on the Ravens now because of him,” Flacco said.
“Ray’s a great guy. Anyone can see that by the way he plays, and the way he handles everything,” added Flacco, who’s also entering his second NFL season. “You can tell everyone back there loves him because he gives back to those guys.”
Rice set Rutgers records for carries (910) and yards (4,926) before leaving after his junior season. Drafted in the second round, the 5-foot-8, 210-pounder started four games as a rookie last year and displayed his potential by running for 154 yards against Cleveland on Nov. 2.
Rice missed the final three weeks with a leg injury and was ineffective in two playoff games after sitting out the wild-card victory at Tennessee. But he hopes the experience he gained during an up-and-down season will help him move his career into overdrive in 2009.
“I think the injuries came with being fatigued. I had a rough camp because I was the only running back going at one point,” he said. “This offseason I really trained hard, and I can’t wait to get out there.”
With Rice, as expected, his own numbers are secondary to contributing to a more important cause.
uldn’t be happier to come out here and give it all I’ve got. I’m 22, I might be the youngest guy on the team. I came in young, and it feels good to know this year I’ll be able to help this team make plays.”
The Ravens, and Flacco in particular, are counting on it.
“Ray did a great job for us last year and he’s going to be a huge threat out of the backfield,” the quarterback said. “You get the ball to Ray and he’s going to make a lot out of it. We’re excited to have him healthy and ready to go all season.”
No matter how he fares, Rice will remain a hero to his mother and youths in New Rochelle, many of whom already are looking forward to his third football camp.
“I believe in having role models and idols. One thing I can do for my town is have a day where I can give back to the community,” Rice said. “For the kids, to see me come back, after everything I went through … If I told them my life was perfect, I’d be lying.
“They get a chance to see me, know me for me. Even though there were some coaches that helped me along the way, I just wanted to give thanks and have fun with the kids. It’s great to bring a community together. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I know I was raised by my village in New Rochelle.”
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