Jacksonville Jaguars standout and NFL wide receiver Calvin Ridley is imploring his colleagues to stay away from gambling after he served a year-long suspension from the NFL for gambling violations.
Ridley was forced to sit out for the 2022 NFL season after the league sentenced the receiver to a one-year ban after it was revealed that he bet on football games. Investigations indicated that Ridley put bets on NFL games over five days back in November 2021 while he was away from his then-team, the Atlanta Falcons.
The suspension of Ridley served as a benchmark to set the tone for how seriously the NFL will enforce its gambling policies. According to the league rule book, players aren't allowed to gamble or anything regarding the NFL for personal, commercial, or charity uses.
While Ridley was initially bothered by the suspension, he addressed the media, stating that he wants to be a resource for any player who may view gambling on games as an innocent gesture. Instead, he wants them to take the offence seriously and understand the repercussions that could transpire if they were to get caught as he did.
"It bugs me a little because my NFL buddies didn’t look at me and say, ‘Aw man, hell, that’s serious,’" Ridley told the Florida Times-Union. "I wish they would’ve looked at me and said, ‘Wow, they did him like that? I hope it doesn’t happen to me.’ Because that’s what I would’ve done.
"If I had seen one of my NFL buddies get slammed like that, I would’ve been a little afraid and watching myself. But you know, it is what it is, they have to learn the hard way like I did. It’s gonna be alright, though."
Ridley also admitted that after he was caught gambling, players around the league reached out to him to understand the investigation process surrounding the violation. Although he admitted to not initially understanding the severity of the infraction, Ridley still provided insight to help "school" the players and guide them in the right direction.
"I think, even for me, once I found out I was getting investigated, I didn’t even know [how serious it was]," Ridley said. "I was like, ‘OK, cool.’ I didn’t know how serious it was until I left that interview.
"It’s just schooling the guys on not to do it. It’s not worth it at all. I really think we don’t understand how serious it is. We kind of go over it, and then it’s gone. It’s a really serious offense. You don’t want to do it, mess with the integrity of the game and your job. Just stay away from it if you can."
The Atlanta Falcons traded Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars as he served his suspension in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick, meaning that private conditions must be met for the Falcons to get 2024.
