Former NFL Wide Receiver Henry Ruggs Wants to Return to the Field — Here's When He Could Be Released
Henry reportedly received a degree while incarcerated.
Published Dec. 18 2025, 3:12 p.m. ET
The career of former NFL Wide Receiver Henry Ruggs stopped short in 2021, when he hit and killed a woman and her dog while driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty to one count of DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He had an alcohol content of 0.16, twice the legal limit, and was driving at 156 miles per hour when he crashed into 23-year-old Tina Tintor, according to NBC Sports.
Henry is serving three to ten years for the incident. In June of 2025, when Henry was released for a few days, he said that he'd like to return to football after he gets out, and perhaps play for the Raiders again, according to Yahoo Sports. However, the timeline for his departure from jail is uncertain. Here's what we know.
Henry Ruggs was originally eligible for parole in August of 2026.
However, in early December 2025, he was transferred to a facility with a higher level of security, which could affect how things play out. According to NBC, Henry was moved from a "minimum-security transitional housing center" in Las Vegas to a "medium-security prison” in Northern Nevada.
The Department of Corrections couldn’t disclose exactly why he was moved, but said that it often happens when offenders commit infractions at lower-level security locations. They stated, "Depending on the nature and severity, they could be reverted back to a higher level of custody."
According to Alabama.com, Henry's move to a higher-security facility moves his "mandatory date for parole-release consideration" from July 4, 2027, to Oct. 18, 2027.
His earliest "parole-eligibility" date is still Aug. 5, 2026, but if he committed any infractions to prompt his movement to the new facility, they could affect whether or not he is actually released.
Henry got his degree from the University of Alabama while in prison.
He was recognized on the university's president's list during the Fall 2025 commencement ceremony. He's listed as having a bachelor's degree in human environmental sciences for the College of Human Environmental Sciences, per Corrections1.
TMZ reported that Henry finished the semester with a 4.0 GPA.
Here's what Henry said about his potential NFL career after prison.
Henry was temporarily released to speak at a "Hope for Prisoners" event. While there, he apologized for his actions that led to the death of Tina Tintor. He said, "I wish I could turn back the hands of time ... I would love for them to meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one that was escaping from something," per Yahoo Sports.
Henry continued, "I sincerely apologize for not only being a part of that situation, but the fact [that] my face is always in the news, it’s always in the newspaper. So they have to constantly be reminded of the situation, be reminded of me."
After his speech, someone asked Henry if he'd like to play for the NFL again after his release.
"Yes, I would love to [play again] ... I’m in this newfound spiritual space, and I’m confident in who I am and what I can do, so, when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll be ready," he said.
He also commented on potentially joining the Raiders, saying, "I don’t feel like I ended on the terms that are meaningful to me and my core values. I would love to play again, and what better place to do it than where I started? Not to mention, I was the first-ever pick in Las Vegas."