5 Las Vegas Athletes Who Ruined Their Careers
Not every Las Vegas sports story is a happy one. These five Las Vegas athletes who ruined their careers are proof of that.
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Source. YouTube.[/caption]
There are many ways to ruin a promising NFL career, and driving while intoxicated is one of them. Former Las Vegas Raider Henry Ruggs III found that out the hard way after having too many drinks and getting behind the wheel. After driving recklessly one evening, he collided with a car at over 100 MPH, killing the driver, Tina Tintor.
Fast forward to 2023, and the 24-year-old has been sentenced to 3-10 years in Nevada State Prison for his actions on that horrific night. Prosecutors allegedly worried about whether they could charge him due to issues with evidence, which helped him get a lighter sentence.
https://twitter.com/jasrifootball/status/1689318816319250434
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
Noah Gragson has reached a crossroads in his NASCAR career, and whether he will recover is unknown. Gragson is currently suspended for liking an anti-George Floyd meme on X and is having a miserable rookie season. He is 33rd in points with zero wins, zero top-fives, and zero top-ten.
Gragson's team owner, Legacy Motorsports, suspended the driver indefinitely, and NASCAR supports the ruling. Gragson announced a few days later that he asked for his release from Legacy Motorsports to work on getting reinstated by NASCAR. This leaves Gragson out of a ride for the rest of the 2023 season and doesn't exactly bode well for his future.
https://twitter.com/LegacyMotorclub/status/1689622630163189760
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
Another Las Vegas athlete who was suspended is Riquina Williams, who is accused of domestic violence against her spouse. The Las Vegas Aces superstar allegedly threatened her spouse with a deadly weapon in July 2023 and strangled her during an altercation. She appeared in court a few days later and was released on bail. The Aces are investigating the incident and will likely determine Williams' status soon. However, it doesn't look good; she has already sat out most of the season with a back injury and isn't contributing much.
Related: Las Vegas stadium tours you must see for yourself!
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
Ryback is a superstar that had all the promise in the world. Everyone was chanting his catchphrase, "Feed me more," and his anti-hero silent demeanor was magic. The Las Vegas native even got thrown into the championship picture and looked like the next big thing alongside guys like John Cena and CM Punk. Unfortunately for Ryback, it didn't last very long.
Ryback quickly went from main-event monster to mid-card enhancement talent. There are even allegations that he angered others backstage with his behavior. After toiling away at the bottom of the card, Ryback finally went to owner Vince McMahon and made a bunch of outrageous promises.
The biggest promise he made was that he was the next John Cena and could lead the company for years to come. McMahon didn't see things the same, however, and Ryback was eventually sent home over refusing to sign a new deal. WWE later released him.
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
While some will remember Gruden for his 2002 Super Bowl push with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, others will only recall the email scandal. The one that managed to ruin his coaching career in a matter of weeks and forced his resignation.
The emails included language described as homophobic, sexist, and racist, and he exchanged these conversations on his personal email throughout his time as a coach. The New York Times eventually leaked these emails to the public, creating a media circus around the Las Vegas Raiders.
Gruden tried to ignore these rumors and keep the Raiders in playoff contention, but weekly email leaks made that impossible. Despite losing his job, Gruden is still fighting in court to sue the NFL for the email leak.
Next: Why Becky Hammon will leave The Las Vegas Aces
#5 Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas Raiders tight end
[caption id="attachment_35854" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube.[/caption]There are many ways to ruin a promising NFL career, and driving while intoxicated is one of them. Former Las Vegas Raider Henry Ruggs III found that out the hard way after having too many drinks and getting behind the wheel. After driving recklessly one evening, he collided with a car at over 100 MPH, killing the driver, Tina Tintor.
Fast forward to 2023, and the 24-year-old has been sentenced to 3-10 years in Nevada State Prison for his actions on that horrific night. Prosecutors allegedly worried about whether they could charge him due to issues with evidence, which helped him get a lighter sentence.
https://twitter.com/jasrifootball/status/1689318816319250434
#4 Noah Gragson, Las Vegas-born NASCAR driver
[caption id="attachment_35663" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Noah Gragson has reached a crossroads in his NASCAR career, and whether he will recover is unknown. Gragson is currently suspended for liking an anti-George Floyd meme on X and is having a miserable rookie season. He is 33rd in points with zero wins, zero top-fives, and zero top-ten.
Gragson's team owner, Legacy Motorsports, suspended the driver indefinitely, and NASCAR supports the ruling. Gragson announced a few days later that he asked for his release from Legacy Motorsports to work on getting reinstated by NASCAR. This leaves Gragson out of a ride for the rest of the 2023 season and doesn't exactly bode well for his future.
https://twitter.com/LegacyMotorclub/status/1689622630163189760
#3 Riquna Williams, Las Vegas Aces
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Source. YouTube[/caption]Another Las Vegas athlete who was suspended is Riquina Williams, who is accused of domestic violence against her spouse. The Las Vegas Aces superstar allegedly threatened her spouse with a deadly weapon in July 2023 and strangled her during an altercation. She appeared in court a few days later and was released on bail. The Aces are investigating the incident and will likely determine Williams' status soon. However, it doesn't look good; she has already sat out most of the season with a back injury and isn't contributing much.
Related: Las Vegas stadium tours you must see for yourself!
#2 Ryback, WWE Superstar
[caption id="attachment_35856" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Ryback is a superstar that had all the promise in the world. Everyone was chanting his catchphrase, "Feed me more," and his anti-hero silent demeanor was magic. The Las Vegas native even got thrown into the championship picture and looked like the next big thing alongside guys like John Cena and CM Punk. Unfortunately for Ryback, it didn't last very long.
Ryback quickly went from main-event monster to mid-card enhancement talent. There are even allegations that he angered others backstage with his behavior. After toiling away at the bottom of the card, Ryback finally went to owner Vince McMahon and made a bunch of outrageous promises.
The biggest promise he made was that he was the next John Cena and could lead the company for years to come. McMahon didn't see things the same, however, and Ryback was eventually sent home over refusing to sign a new deal. WWE later released him.
#1 Jon Gruden, Las Vegas Raiders head coach
[caption id="attachment_35857" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]While some will remember Gruden for his 2002 Super Bowl push with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, others will only recall the email scandal. The one that managed to ruin his coaching career in a matter of weeks and forced his resignation.
The emails included language described as homophobic, sexist, and racist, and he exchanged these conversations on his personal email throughout his time as a coach. The New York Times eventually leaked these emails to the public, creating a media circus around the Las Vegas Raiders.
Gruden tried to ignore these rumors and keep the Raiders in playoff contention, but weekly email leaks made that impossible. Despite losing his job, Gruden is still fighting in court to sue the NFL for the email leak.
Next: Why Becky Hammon will leave The Las Vegas Aces