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 to 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 five to 10 years?' He said, 'I'm gonna be a Buc.'"
Licht said the Bucs did extensive work on Bain in the lead-up 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 past 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 occurred 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 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 before 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."
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 that 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. Licht pointed to the teams ahead of them prioritizing other needs, such as 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 high up on the board," Licht said. "We would have taken him a lot earlier."
