Ray Rice apologizes: 'There is no excuse for domestic violence'

rice photo — (Image credit: (Hill Street Studios/Blend Images/Corbis))

In a statement to The Baltimore Sun, Ray Rice apologized for his "horrible mistake," adding that "there is no excuse for domestic violence."

Rice thanked the city of Baltimore and the Ravens, saying he'll "always be proud" he was a member of the team:

To all the kids who looked up to me, I'm truly sorry for letting you down, but I hope it's helped you learn that one bad decision can turn your dream into a nightmare. There is no excuse for domestic violence, and I apologize for the horrible mistake I made. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope to make a positive difference in people's lives by raising awareness of this issue. Thank you, Baltimore Ravens, for all you have done for my family and I. I'm very grateful to Steve Bisciotti, Ozzie Newsome, John Harbaugh, and everyone at 1 Winning Drive. I love you all very much, and I'll always be proud to say I played for the Baltimore Ravens. [The Baltimore Sun]

Sources told the paper that Rice plans to leave Maryland and return to New York, his home state. According to the paper, Rice hopes to relaunch his football career, but he hasn't visited any NFL teams yet.