Calvin Ridley writes heartfelt letter after NFL reinstatement: ‘I made the worst mistake of my life’

In the previous two NFL seasons, All-Pro vast receiver Calvin Ridley has solely performed in 5 video games.

The former first-round choose was suspended for all the 2022 season for violating the league’s playing coverage.

In an open letter posted to The Players Tribune on Wednesday, Ridley revealed a number of the points he confronted since he determined to step away from the Falcons throughout the 2021 season. He additionally admitted that he made a mistake when he determined to put a collection of bets on NFL video games.

FILE – Atlanta Falcons vast receiver Calvin Ridley (18) warms up earlier than an NFL soccer sport in opposition to the New York Giants, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)

“I f—ed up,” Ridley wrote. “I’m not right here to sugarcoat something. In 2021, I made the worst mistake of my life by playing on soccer.”

“I paid the value, consider me. I’ve seen all of the jokes. I’ve seen all of the hate. And I can shoulder all of that, no downside. All I would like is for individuals to grasp that, once I made these bets, there was a hell of much more happening with me.”

JAGUARS’ CALVIN RIDLEY, SUSPENDED FOR 2022 SEASON DUE TO GAMBLING ON GAMES, REINSTATED BY NFL

The Atlanta Falcons traded Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars in November in a fancy deal that concerned a number of draft picks. Ridley, who turned 28 in December, shared a number of the setbacks he skilled rising up within the South Florida space and the way soccer helped him discover function.

“Since I used to be eight years previous, I used to be by myself. It’s loopy however I do know the precise date: October 31, 2002,” he wrote. “We had been having our little Halloween get together in school. Out of the blue, my aunt got here and picked me and my three youthful brothers up. The subsequent factor I do know, she’s dropping us off at some random place with a bunch of strangers. It was a foster dwelling for youths in misery. But I didn’t know the place I used to be or what was happening. No one would inform me something. It was simply, ‘Your mother and pa went away for some time. You want to remain right here.'” 

Ridley additionally revealed that he battled by a lot of the 2020 season with a damaged foot. Despite the damage, he had the most effective season of his professional profession, racking up 1,374 yards and 9 touchdowns in 15 video games. After the season, he was named a second-team All-Pro.

Atlanta vast receiver Calvin Ridley (18) turns upfield after catching a cross throughout the NFL sport between the Washington Football Team and the Atlanta Falcons on October third, 2021 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire through Getty Images)

The subsequent yr, star vast receiver Julio Jones was not on the Falcons and Ridley grew to become the crew’s No. 1 receiver. He bought off to a sluggish begin on the sphere all through the primary few video games of the 2021 season. In the letter, he famous that his struggles with despair and nervousness resulted in him being a “shell” of himself.

SAINTS’ TYRANN MATHIEU REACTS TO RAVENS USING FRANCHISE TAG ON LAMAR JACKSON: ‘FEEL SOME KIND OF WAY ABOUT IT’

“That’s when the nervousness actually began. I knew one thing was off, however I didn’t wish to let anyone down. My plan was to get by one other season with capsules and photographs. Do my job. Grit it out. I suited up Week 1 a shell of myself, however I performed.” 

Atlanta vast receiver Calvin Ridley (18) appears into the group whereas strolling off the sphere following the conclusion of the NFL sport between the Washington Football Team and the Atlanta Falcons on October third, 2021 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire through Getty Images)

During his time away from soccer, Ridley positioned bets on NFL video games, together with a parlay on the Falcons that led to his indefinite suspension.

“I simply f—ed up. Period,” he wrote. “In a darkish second, I made a silly mistake. I wasn’t making an attempt to cheat the sport. That’s the factor I wish to clarify. At the time, I had been utterly away from the crew for a couple of month. I used to be nonetheless simply so depressed and offended, and the times had been so lengthy. I used to be in search of something to take my thoughts off of issues and make the day go by quicker. One day, I noticed a TV business for a betting app, and for no matter cause, I downloaded it on my cellphone. I deposited like $1,500 whole, actually only for one thing to do. I used to be going to guess like $200 on some NBA video games that night time, however then I simply added a bunch extra video games to a parlay. I put the Falcons in on it. I used to be simply doing it to root on my boys, principally. I did not have any inside data. I wasn’t even speaking to anyone on the crew on the time. I used to be completely off the grid.”

But the previous Alabama soccer standout stated the time away from the sport helped him reset, and he’s wanting ahead to a recent begin in Jacksonville.

“Right now, I really feel stronger than I’ve ever felt – mentally and bodily,” he wrote. “On the sphere, I’m flying. Believe me, I’m flying. That GPS band do not lie. On my daughter’s title, if I’m wholesome? With Trevor Lawrence? I’m giving Jacksonville 1,400 yards a season, interval.”