A punch at the NFL

On Feb. 15, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was arrested and charged with assault after punching his fiancée and knocking her unconscious in the elevator of a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The following months saw Rice being indicted with third-degree aggravated assault with possible jail time and a fee of $15,000, and a two game suspension from the 2014 NFL season.

Despite the controversy being highly publicized as a result of TMZ spreading footage of the assault, charges were dropped when Rice agreed to begin counseling. On Sept. 8, TMZ released more footage of Rice’s assault, leading to his suspension from the NFL indefinitely and prompting many critics and the public to question the example Rice and many athletes in the previous months have set through various domestic violence cases.

There is no doubt that domestic violence cases are common among NFL players, as 54.4 percent of all arrests of NFL players are on the account of domestic violence, according to USA Today.

The correlation makes it clear that there is an ongoing trend between domestic violence cases and football players, or even athletes in general.

“As a football player, Rice must be held accountable for his actions both on and off the field,” varsity football player Scott Patton said. Athletes, especially football players, will continue to be associated with domestic violence unless pro athletes begin to set a good example by reducing their arrest rates and controlling their behaviors.