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BY JERRY MILANI
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Ray Rice, a standout at Rutgers who is now one of the premiere running backs in the National Football League, was presented with the STAR Spirit Award at the Family Services of Westchester (FSW) STAR Gala on Thursday in New Rochelle, N.Y. Rice, who graduated from New Rochelle H.S., met with members of the school's football team and signed autographs and took pictures for attendees.
"I'm humbled by this award and to be a part of this great night," said Rice, 23, whose own upbringing in New Rochelle was difficult, not unlike that of many of the 30,000 people that FSW services annually. "What I hope to inspire in kids is that even with the things I've been through, if you put yourself in the right crowd and work hard, you can achieve anything. Not just football or athletics, but being a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher.
"I couldn't have done it without the help of many people in this room," he added, addressing the crowd without notes, he explained, because he wanted to speak from the heart.
Rice, a second-round NFL Draft selection by Baltimore in 2008, also has an enduring fondness for Rutgers. As one of the first major stars that helped in the resurgence of the Big East program, Rice feels a strong connection to today's Scarlet Knights, as well as to those who have joined him as stars at the professional level.
"I'll be going to Rutgers in the summer to work out for a couple of weeks, and I get back there as often as I can," he said. "Coach [Greg] Schiano runs the program as well as any pro program. You arrive there as a kid and leave as a man."
Another diminutive runner who did his best running in New Jersey, former Giants star Tiki Barber, presented Rice with the award. Barber also took time to meet with and sign autographs for enthusiastic young fans, and has been a key role model for Rice.
"From the first time we met," said Rice, entering his third year with the Ravens this fall, "Tiki has always talked about how people can do things when everyone is watching, but what can you do when no one is watching? I've remembered that and I know how important it is to give back, just because I want to."
Rice was honored along Brandon Steiner, CEO of Steiner Sports, and his wife Mara. The couple are frequent hosts to Rice and his family at their Westchester home.
"Brandon is someone who has always been there for me, whether it was opening his home — and basketball court — to me and my family, or to making me a part of his team of professional athletes at Steiner Sports," said Rice. "It is a special honor to be recognized on the same night."
