EmailPrintST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice says his 30-day jail sentence earlier this year was a "learning experience and a reality check."Less than two months after being released from a Dallas County jail, Rashee Rice discussed his experience inside the facility for violating the terms of his probation, stemming from his role in a car crash two years ago that left multiple people injured."It was a learning experience and a reality check," Rice said Tuesday in his first public comments since last season. "Don't focus on the past. Focus on what's going on now. I'm doing [well] mentally."It was mentally tough. They gave me ways to communicate with my teammates still and as well as my athletic trainer. Besides the hard times in there, I kept my mind right watching shows and as much [of comedian] Kevin Hart as I could to laugh."Rice, 26, was ordered by the Texas State Attorney's Office on May 19 to go to jail immediately after he tested positive for THC. While serving his sentence, Rice was allowed to receive treatment on his right knee at Parkland Hospital, a decision that was granted to him by a judge.A week before entering the jail, Rice underwent surgery to clean up debris in his right knee, which had been causing inflammation."I was in there early in the morning until it was time for me to go," he said. "I would stretch it, do some activation on it and then hit the weight room and jog, just condition and get the muscle fatigue going as well as my stamina."When he was released, Rice quickly ran past a handful of reporters and entered a waiting SUV, which whisked him away, a scene that was captured on camera.Rice acknowledged that the inflammation in his knee impacted his performance last season. After serving a six-game suspension to start last season -- for violating the league's personal conduct policy for his role in the car crash -- Rice played eight games and finished with 571 receiving yards and six touchdowns.The biggest area where Rice struggled was getting open against man-to-man coverage, as he averaged just 5.9 yards per target (ranking 45th)."Honestly, I thought it was probably a bit of swelling," Rice said of his knee. "I didn't know it was something that needed to have surgery. We're kind of taught to just keep going until you can't anymore. It was the perfect time for me to get it cleaned up so that it wouldn't affect me for this season."Rice is entering the final year of his rookie contract. In the past week, he has increased his repetitions during the Chiefs' training camp practices. Coach Andy Reid has yet to share if Rice will play Saturday in the Chiefs' preseason opener."I'm 100 percent locked in on what's going on now with the team," Rice said. "I'm ready to go out there and dominate. I've got a good group of brothers behind me."I would want to improve the most on certain plays that I know specifically aren't coming to me, just because it's a full [passing] concept and everybody is going to eat. Everybody's got to get the ball."
