Former Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs III has begun the process of seeking early parole, appearing before the Nevada Board of Parole on Monday. He is serving a three-to-10-year sentence for a DUI crash that killed Tina Tintor, with his earliest possible parole d
Henry Ruggs III’s next step toward freedom isn’t a dramatic moment on the field—it happened at a parole hearing on Monday before the Nevada Board of Parole.
Ruggs. the first receiver selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. is serving a three-to-10-year sentence after pleading guilty to DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He has now initiated the process of seeking his release. using the appearance before the board to make his case for what comes next.
Ruggs’s legal journey traces back to November 2021, when he collided with a car driven by 23-year-old Tina Tintor. At the time of impact, Ruggs’s Corvette was traveling 127 miles per hour, and his blood-alcohol concentration was measured at 0.161 percent.
During his Monday appearance, Ruggs told the parole board: “Not a minute goes by where I don’t think of the pain I caused her family, her friends and the Las Vegas community.” He added, “I’m a religious person and pray for her family daily.”
For Ruggs, time is measured in dates now. His earliest possible parole date is August 5, 2026. That doesn’t guarantee anything—eligibility is only the beginning, and the board’s decision will ultimately determine whether the process leads to release earlier than the public timeline suggests.
The path has not been smooth behind the scenes. Last year, Ruggs was moved from a minimum-security transitional housing facility to a medium-security prison due to unspecified rules violations. It remains unclear whether those violations will affect his chance of receiving parole. and whether they will weigh into how the board views his behavior moving forward.
As of June 2024. Ruggs was working outside the facility at the Nevada governor’s mansion. a detail that underscores how his days are being managed during his sentence. Even with the hearing underway. the central question for the people watching his future is simple: will a parole board treat his request as a step toward reintegration—or decide he still has more time to serve?.
Ruggs has also made clear that football is still on his mind. In June 2025, he said he would love to return to the sport. If and when he receives parole. the NFL would have to decide whether he would be cleared to sign with a team. If he is cleared, a team would then have to decide whether to sign him.
Whatever the outcome, Ruggs’s NFL past is part of the conversation because it is part of the record. In 20 career games, with 19 starts, he caught 50 passes for 921 yards and four touchdowns. The Raiders released him on the same day the crash occurred.
The hearing gives Ruggs a chance to be heard—but it also puts the focus back where the case began: on the family of Tina Tintor, on the consequences of that November 2021 crash, and on whether parole can come early after a sentence that stretches from three to 10 years.
Henry Ruggs III parole Nevada Board of Parole Tina Tintor Raiders DUI resulting in death misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter August 5 2026 NFL return