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TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th pick in the NFL draft Thursday, less than two weeks after news surfaced that the former Miami star was involved in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in the death of a passenger in 2024.
"I was fortunate enough to get my name called, no matter where it was," Bain said from the draft in Pittsburgh, surrounded by what he estimates were 20-25 family members there supporting him.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht said Bain was "very emotional, as we were," when making the phone call.
"He was just very grateful that he was coming here," Licht said. "So I think asked him first thing was, I picked up the phone and said, 'What are you doing the next 5-10 years?' He said, 'I'm gonna be a Buc.'"
Licht said the Bucs did extensive work on Bain in the leadup to the draft and weren't caught off-guard by the news, which was first reported by The Read Optional. He acknowledged the magnitude of the situation but offered his support to Bain.
"We've known about this for a long time. I know it just came out a couple of weeks ago," Licht said Thursday. "It was a very tragic accident, tragic experience for the family, and it's something you never want to see happen. But he's a good person. He was involved in something that none of us ever want to be involved in or want any of our loved ones to be involved in. But he loves football. He loves football."
Bain, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, was considered one of the top edge rushers in the draft, with some prognosticators believing he's a top-10 talent.
When asked about what the last two weeks have been like since the news of the accident became public, he said: "Yeah, you know everything has its ups and downs, but I just try to make everything simple as it could possibly be.
"Try to prioritize whatever I prioritize in the moment. And right now that's just football and making sure I can just really make it as a main priority for me."
The accident took place on March 17, 2024, at 4 a.m. on I-95 in Miami. According to the crash report, Bain's 2021 Land Rover SUV rear-ended another car, veered into a concrete barrier, then ricocheted into another barrier before coming to a rest on the shoulder of the highway. No field sobriety tests were performed at the time of the accident, according to the crash report.
One of Bain's three passengers — 22-year-old Destiny Betts — spent nearly three months in a coma before succumbing to her injuries on June 13, 2024. Fellow Hurricanes football players Wesley Bissainthe and Nyjalik Kelly were the two other passengers. Bain was cited at the time of the incident, but charges were dropped prior to Betts' death, according to The Read Optional.
In a statement provided to The Read Optional, Betts' family called the crash a "tragic accident" and said they "wish Mr. Bain the best as he continues his life and career."
Licht was the Arizona Cardinals’ vice president of player personnel when they selected Tyrann Mathieu in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. Mathieu had been dismissed from the LSU football program due to repeated drug test failures and an arrest for marijuana possession, which led to entering a drug rehabilitation program.
Mathieu went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL — including a Super Bowl LIV title with the Kansas City Chiefs, three first-team All-Pro selections, a second-team All-Pro selection, three Pro Bowls and selection to the NFL 2010s All-Decade team — before announcing his retirement in 2025.
Licht has always been guided by two principles when looking at players' backgrounds and it's what helped him with Mathieu: "Is he a bad player or an immature player?" and "How much does he really love football?"
When asked what it was about Bain that sold the Bucs, who are known for drafting high-character players, Licht said: "His passion for the game, his passion for wanting to be the best. He likes edge and brings out there. And the guy practices the same way that he plays and football is one of the most important things of his life."
Licht wasn't sure if Bain falling out of the top 10 had anything to do with the incident. He pointed to the teams ahead of them prioritizing other needs, like the Dallas Cowboys moving up from No. 12 to No. 11 to select Caleb Downs. Then there was the Los Angeles Rams selecting quarterback Ty Simpson as Matthew Stafford’s successor at No. 13.
"We had him very him high up on the board," Licht said. "We would have taken him a lot earlier."
