The Las Vegas Raiders are in the midst of rebuilding the team’s culture after the last decade has been filled with drama and controversy.
Antonio Pierce certainly looks like the right leader to right the ship, but only time will tell. On paper, the Raiders don’t have a roster that makes anyone believe they will compete for Super Bowls anytime soon, but the fan base will have to remain patient.
While most of the drama and off-the-field issues with players came before Josh McDaniels took over, there were multiple reports the former Patriots OC wasn’t liked by the players and tried too hard to implement the strict “Patriots Way” style of coaching that has been linked to his mentor, Bill Belichick.
Obviously that didn’t work with the Las Vegas Raiders and McDaniels was fired and replaced with Pierce, who impressed ownership as the interim head coach and won the respect of the team’s top players, who lobbied for him to get the full-time head coaching role.
Prior to McDaniels, the Raiders had a string of high-profile incidents that put them in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Jon Gruden — who was given an unprecedented 10-year contract worth $100 million —was ousted after emails were uncovered during an investigation into former Washington owner Daniel Snyder. Gruden allegedly used racist and homophobic language, while also criticizing commissioner Roger Goodell. The revelation led to the Las Vegas Raiders forcing Gruden to resign in 2021.
While the team was trending in the right direction under Gruden, there were a few major off-the-field issues with the team’s players that made national headlines. The most high profile instance was the fatal hit-and-run involving former Alabama WR Henry Ruggs in November of 2021.
Ruggs was traveling more than 150 mph – his alcohol level more than twice the legal limit – before his car rear-ended another car, killing the driver, Tina Tintor, prosecutors have said. The 23-year-old victim and her dog died on the scene, according to authorities.
In August. Ruggs was sentenced to 3 to 10 years for the fatal incident after pleading guilty.
Clark County District Judge Jennifer Schwartz sentenced Ruggs to a minimum of 36 months and a maximum of 120 months after Ruggs pleaded guilty to one count of driving while impaired, resulting in death, and one count of vehicular manslaughter. Ruggs is eligible for parole after three years.
Nick Saban Reveals Who He Believes Was Responsible For Fatal DUI Involving Former Las Vegas Raiders WR Henry Ruggs
NIck Saban coached Ruggs at Alabama, where the wide receiver played a pivotal role on the team that won the 2018 national championship.
Ruggs’ success playing for the Crimson Tide helped make him a first round selection for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
It has been nearly three years since that fateful day, and Ruggs’ former coach at Alabama, Nick Saban, has finally commented on the ordeal that his former player found himself in, saying, “He had his friends that could have told him” that he shouldn’t have been driving.
NEWS: Legendary coach Nick Saban says Henry Ruggs FRIENDS FAILED HIM on the night of his fatal DUI crash.
“While he was drinking, and he had friends that could’ve told him, ‘You shouldn’t be driving; I’m not going to let you drive.” pic.twitter.com/xPTZDa1kEq
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 3, 2024
Saban’s comments about the former Las Vegas Raiders WR caused some controversy on social media as many people believed the only person responsible for the tragic incident was Ruggs himself.
“At the end of the day you’re responsible for your own actions, period” one user wrote.
