Joe Judge on Henry Ruggs III incident: 'It’s something different'

New York Giants head coach Joe Judge, formerly a special teams assistant for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2009-2011, saw the news of Henry Ruggs III’s DUI much like Ruggs’ former Alabama teammates did — that is, he saw it as less of a news headline and more of a heartbreak.

Judge coaches a number of Alabama alumni on the Giants, and he coached plenty more while serving as the New England Patriots’ special teams coordinator. Now, as Ruggs faces DUI charges after a Las Vegas crash resulted in death, Judge has taken it upon himself to speak to members of the New York Giants about Ruggs’ situation.

“I’ve spoken to the entire team on this issue,” Judge said. “The one thing that’s unique about this situation with Henry is the amount of relationships he has throughout this league, whether you’re from the state of Alabama and you know him from playing through high school competing against him, you were a teammate of his at Alabama, which a significant number of those guys are playing in the NFL.

“When I talk to my team about the [Ruggs] situation, I’m literally looking in guys’ eyes, it’s not a headline to them. It’s a friend of theirs; it’s a teammate of theirs. It’s something different.”

Judge’s comments on the matter came shortly after Giants’ wide receiver Kadarius Toney posted an insensitive tweet about the Ruggs news.

Ruggs faces DUI charges

Ruggs, formerly a wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders, faces DUI resulting in death charges stemming from a Tuesday crash. The former first-round draft pick also faces multiple felony charges after being released from a hospital into jail. 8 News Now, a Las Vegas CBS affiliate, has acquired Ruggs’ mugshot and new details from the fiery crash.

According to the report, Ruggs is accused of driving 156 miles per hour through a suburban area, miles away from the Las Vegas strip. His speedometer read 127 mph when airbags deployed. In addition, Ruggs blood alcohol level read .161, more than twice the legal limit. Police also found a loaded gun inside the car.

ESPN reports that Ruggs and one passenger were taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries. However, one woman and her dog died inside the other vehicle. Probation is not an option for a conviction of DUI causing death, in Nevada. The charge carries a possible sentence of between two and 20 years in prison. The possible sentence for reckless driving is between one and six years in prison, with probation possible.