Getty Calvin Ridley scores a touchdown as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In March 2022, former Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley received a harsh punishment from the NFL in the wake of a troubling scandal where the receiver was found to have placed multiple wagers on NFL games during his time away from the Atlanta Falcons in late 2021.
This week, after a full calendar year away from the field, Ridley was reinstated by the league on Monday, March 6, and immediately jumped at the opportunity to tell his side of the story regarding his suspension. In a letter penned to The Player’s Tribune, Ridley details the events surrounding what he called, “the worst mistake of my life.”
t.co/HynQWVP2VC Had to get this off my chest before the next chapter. @PlayersTribune
Calvin Ridley Played Through Severe Injury in 2020
The former Second Team All-Pro talked openly in his letter about the anxiety and depression he faced following a gruesome injury battle that led to the star wideout playing nearly a full season with a broken foot in 2020.
“It started with my body breaking down,” Ridley wrote, “Hardly anybody knows this, but I played most of the 2020 season with a broken foot.”
Getty ImagesCalvin Ridley celebrates a touchdown as a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2020.
“I had played through bone spurs my first two years, just gritted through it with painkillers,” he continued, “But then, my third year, the wheels came off.”
Ridley details a situation in which he met with the Falcons medical staff seeking treatment, but was told his injury was merely a bone bruise.
“So I kept pushing,” the two-time National Champion wrote, “I took Toradol shots every Sunday, and I finished the season.”
Atlanta ended the year 4-12 and an entirely new staff was brought in, giving Ridley access to a new trainer who, per the receiver’s letter, sent him to a specialist in Green Bay who quickly informed Ridley his foot was broken.
Where it Went Wrong for Calvin Ridley in 2021
Ridley underwent foot surgery that offseason and, in his own words, “Rushed back.”
“I still couldn’t plant without painkillers, so you get trapped in this cycle where it’s like, ‘If you take this pill, you can run,” Ridley wrote, “That’s when the anxiety really started. I knew something was off, but I didn’t wanna let anybody down.”
Ridley’s anxiety came to a head after the Falcons’ week one matchup with the Eagles in September 2021. Following a 32-6 loss, Ridley found his home had been burglarized while he played, leading to many feeling of uncertainty for the wideout.
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“When we watched the security footage, we saw about five or six guys come in with guns drawn. If you have a child, that’s your worst nightmare,” said Ridley.
Atlanta was set to play in London just weeks after the burglary, but Ridley was unable to fathom the thought of leaving his family behind.
“We were supposed to go play in London, but I just couldn’t leave them. That’s when I finally broke down and told the team I needed help,” said Ridley.
The then-fourth-year receiver stepped away from the team in October of 2021, citing the need to focus on his mental health as the reason for his departure.
“I started talking to a therapist almost immediately,” Ridley wrote, “I told him how I was feeling and we went deep. I told him things that I can’t even talk to my own family about.”
Getty imagesCalvin Ridley as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.
Ridley spent about a month away from the team in late 2021, looking for any outlet he could find to battle his anxiety and depression.
“I was depressed,” he wrote, “I was battling anxiety. I didn’t even want to leave my house. Football was the only thing that gave my life meaning, but I couldn’t even find joy in that at the time. In that dark moment, I made a stupid mistake.”
The receiver placed several bets through his phone, including several parlays involving his then-current team, the Falcons.
Ridley writes in the letter that he had no insider information regarding any of the bets as he had been “totally off the grid,” following his departure from the team a month prior.
“When people ask ‘what were you thinking?'”, Ridley wrote, “The only answer I can give is ‘I wasn’t.'”
Calvin Ridley Ready to Return to Form in 2023
In the closing words of his letter, Ridley said, “Right now, I feel stronger than I’ve ever felt – mentally and physically. I’m giving Jacksonville 1,400 yards per season, period.”
The former five-star still has a lot left to prove in the NFL to be regarded as one of the greats, but at 28 years old, Ridley has more than enough time to still carve out a Hall of Fame career. With a new team and an electrifying young quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, the sky is the limit for the newly reinstated wideout.