Mark Davis on Henry Ruggs: ‘We’re not going to abandon him’

Raiders proprietor Mark Davis expressed his condolences Thursday for the household of 23-year-old Tina Tintor, who was killed aboriginal Tuesday greeting successful a car clang involving erstwhile Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs.

“It’s devastating,” Davis said, warring backmost tears successful his archetypal nationalist comments since the tragedy. “Obviously a nonaccomplishment of beingness … it’s conscionable a tragedy.”

Ruggs is facing charges of DUI resulting successful decease and reckless driving aft the fiery crash. The Raiders released the second-year subordinate precocious Tuesday night.

But Davis made it wide the enactment volition not crook its backmost connected Ruggs, who had rapidly go 1 of his favourite players for the dynamic velocity helium brought to the Raiders’ discourtesy and his kind-hearted demeanor.

“We released Henry Ruggs the shot player,” Davis said. “Henry Ruggs is inactive a quality being and Raider alumni and idiosyncratic that we privation to help. We’ll beryllium determination for him.”

Davis said helium got a telephone aboriginal Tuesday informing him an mishap had occurred involving Ruggs, past spent the remainder of the greeting sorting done the sketchy details of what had happened. By Tuesday night, erstwhile details began emerging, moving connected from Ruggs was the lone option.

In drafting Ruggs 12th wide past year, the Raiders envisioned him processing into the benignant of subordinate who stretched the tract with his velocity and opened things up for the remainder of the offense.

Ruggs was processing into precisely that. Despite the determination to merchandise him, Davis reiterated that the Raiders are “not going to wantonness him. He’s portion of our family.”

It is simply a sentiment shared by others successful the enactment arsenic the Raiders proceed to explicit sorrow for the unfortunate but besides enactment for the 22-year-old Ruggs.

“Again, the Tintor family, I conscionable can’t fathom that,” said Raiders violative coordinator Greg Olson. “But I besides cognize that Henry Ruggs is not a monster. Henry Ruggs is simply a bully idiosyncratic who made a succession of mediocre decisions that led to a horrific result.”

In the meantime, Davis’ Raiders shot squad is near to prime up the pieces. That includes preparing to marque a cross-country travel to New Jersey to play the New York Giants connected Sunday.

It volition beryllium the 2nd clip successful little than a period that the Raiders volition person to flooded an affectional and gut-wrenching situation. Last month, Raiders caput manager Jon Gruden had to resign aft a slew of derogatory emails helium sent became public. Now comes the Ruggs tragedy.

The Raiders are successful archetypal spot successful the AFC West and a half-game retired of the apical spot successful the AFC. There are goals wrong reach, and the Raiders person tried to stay focused connected those aspirations.

“We’ll see,” Davis said erstwhile asked however helium believes his squad volition respond. “That’s what we’ve got to see. “It’s pugnacious connected these kids. They’ve mislaid their caput coach. They’ve mislaid 1 of their champion teammates and players. They mislaid the president of the organization. There’s been a batch of upheaval astir here.”

Longtime squad president Marc Badain, the look of the enactment during their relocation process to Las Vegas, resigned abruptly successful July aft 30 seasons with the Raiders.

The Raiders won 2 consecutive games aft the resignation of Gruden connected October 12.

“They’ve risen to the occasion,” Davis said. “That goes to the enactment and the players connected this team. It’s maturing and I’m arrogant of them.”

In particular, Davis pointed to Derek Carr.

“He’s truly stepped up the past period oregon truthful arsenic the person of this team,” Davis said. “His maturity is opening to show.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore connected Twitter.