Ray Rice is truly sorry for punching his then-fianceée in a hotel elevator last February and has issued an apology to Baltimore Ravens' fans and the city of Baltimore.

"The last seven years that my family and I have spent in Baltimore have by far been the best of our lives," Rice wrote in a letter to The Baltimore Sun on Friday morning. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for the love and support you've shown my family and I throughout my football career. We'll always be grateful for the love we've received from all of our fans and supporters, and for winning a Super Bowl."

The former Ravens running back wasn't done yet, though.

"To all the kids who looked up to me, I'm truly sorry for letting you down, but I hope it's helped you learn that one bad decision can turn your dream into a nightmare," he continued. "There is no excuse for domestic violence, and I apologize for the horrible mistake I made. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope to make a positive difference in people's lives by raising awareness of this issue."

Rice added: "I love you all very much, and I'll always be proud to say I played for the Baltimore Ravens."

Rice was cut by the Ravens in September after surveillance footage of him knocking out his then-fiancee, now wife Janay Rice, surfaced. Before that, he was originally suspended for only two games. In late November, Rice won his appeal and was reinstated to the NFL. An NFL team has yet to sign Rice.

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(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)