Former Miami Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain was involved in a fatal vehicular collision in March 2024, an incident that has drawn attention from NFL teams ahead of the upcoming draft. According to Ollie Connolly of The Read Optional, Bain was driving on I-95 in Miami when his vehicle struck another car before colliding with concrete barriers. One passenger, 22-year-old Destiny Betts, sustained critical injuries and never regained consciousness after falling into a coma. She died three months later.
Police reports, cited by Connolly, concluded that Bain was “careless or negligent” in his operation of the vehicle. He was cited for careless driving, but the charge was later dismissed. All NFL teams are reportedly aware of the incident. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted that teams have known about the case for a “long, long time,” and that a civil lawsuit arising from the crash was settled.
While Connolly draws a parallel to former Miami tackle Laremy Tunsil’s draft-night slide in 2016—when a video of Tunsil smoking marijuana from a gas-mask bong surfaced minutes before the draft—there are notable differences. Teams had no opportunity to investigate Tunsil’s situation before the draft, whereas Bain’s case has been public for months, giving teams ample time to conduct due diligence.
The primary concern for NFL franchises is not only the potential public relations impact of selecting a player with past off-field incidents but also whether there is reason to believe such incidents might recur once the player is in the league. For some athletes, a draft slide can serve as a wake-up call, reducing the likelihood of future issues.
A relevant comparison is Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was involved in a fatal crash months before the 2023 draft. Carter slipped to the ninth overall pick but went on to finish second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting and earned Pro Bowl honors in both 2023 and 2024. Bain’s trajectory could follow a similar path, depending on how teams assess the circumstances and his potential moving forward.
