Chiefs’ Rice vows to ‘mature’ after off-field issues

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice gave his first public remarks about his tumultuous offseason Saturday, saying his focus is to “mature and continue to grow.”

Rice, 24, spoke to reporters Saturday while participating in a youth football camp in Kansas City along with fellow Chiefs wideouts Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore.

Rice was arrested in April following a multiple-vehicle car crash in Dallas, and he also is a suspect in a separate incident in an alleged assault at a Dallas nightclub in May.

He said Saturday he is working to improve as a person.

“I’ve learned so much from that,” he said. “All I can do is mature and continue to grow from that. This is a step in a better direction for me.”

Rice, who has taken part in offseason practices with the Chiefs, said he has leaned on his teammates for support in the wake of the two incidents and is focusing on the future.

“Accidents and stuff like that happen, but all you can do is move forward and walk around being the same person, try to be positive so that everybody can feel your love and your great energy,” he said.

Rice was arrested this spring in Dallas and charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury for his involvement in a six-car crash on a freeway. Police have alleged that Rice was racing another vehicle at high speeds and was traveling as fast as 119 mph shortly before the crash.

He is being sued in Texas for more than $1 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages by two people who say they were injured in the crash.

Dallas police also are investigating an alleged May 6 assault at a Dallas nightclub in which Rice is reportedly a suspect. Police have since said that the man who was injured in the assault has asked police not to file charges. The investigation is ongoing.