Tom Pelissero

USA TODAY Sports

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – If Ray Rice gets a chance to return to the NFL this season, every game check he earns would go towards combating the issue that took him out of the league.

Out of football since the Baltimore Ravens cut him in September 2014 after video surfaced of him knocking out his then-fiancée in a casino elevator, Rice told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday he’d donate his entire salary in 2016 to organizations with programs focusing on education and prevention of domestic violence and supporting survivors and their families.

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It’s an extension of the message Rice’s representatives have delivered to teams about his intentions in trying to get a job and resume his playing career after a two-year absence.

“All the scrutiny that I’ve got, it was deserved, because domestic violence is a horrible thing,” said Rice, the three-time Pro Bowl running back banished by the NFL (but later reinstated on appeal) amid outrage over the video recorded nearly 2 ½ years ago.

“Me donating my salary is something that’ll be from the heart for me. I only want to play football so I can end it the right way for my kids and for the people that really believed in me. But I know there’s a lot of people affected by domestic violence, and every dollar helps. It’s raising awareness.

“People need homes. People need shelter when they’re in a crucial situation. I’ve donated a lot of money to charities, but I had a situation where it was a national crisis. I’m not saying I’d be (donating the salary) to get on the field, but it’s something that will show where my heart is. My heart is about finishing the right way and helping people along the way.”

The minimum salary for a seventh-year veteran such as Rice in 2016 is $885,000, which would be a sizeable donation even after subtracting the chunk taken out for taxes. It also could provide a platform for Rice, 29, and the league to highlight the work of different organizations.

Rice’s last NFL contract paid $25 million over the first two years. He’s financially secure, and he’d be playing for a fraction of that regardless. With training camps opening next week, though, Rice remains unemployed. He last played in 2013, when he battled injury and averaged a career-low 3.1 yards on 214 carries.

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He has been working out near his home in Stamford, Conn., and with kids here at his old high school. He also has been making a series of visits to colleges (and one to the Ravens) to tell his cautionary tale to the next generation of players. On Wednesday, Rice delivered his message at a summer program for high school-aged students in the Bronx.

“I think the biggest donation that you can give to domestic violence is your time,” Rice said. “I’m not just going to be giving it because I have money. I’m going to be giving it because I did the background and the research and spent a lot of time with people who understand the cause.

“The only way to fix the problem is awareness. It’s an epidemic. I know that my situation raised awareness. I’m not thankful for being that guy, but I’m thankful for the people that now are not afraid to ask for help, because I had to go get the help myself after to realize the severity of what domestic violence is.”

Rice and his wife, Janay Rice, married soon after his indictment stemming from the Feb. 15, 2014, incident in Atlantic City. Rice was accepted into a pretrial diversion program that resulted in the dismissal of an assault charge against him. The couple has a 4-year-old daughter, Rayven, and a second child is due in September.

Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero.