Calvin Ridley, a wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars, has revealed that he made a “stupid mistake” of gambling on football while he was going through a period of depression and anger. In a post on The Players’ Tribune, Ridley admitted that he downloaded a gambling app and deposited $1,500 to bet on NBA and NFL games, including those of his former team, the Atlanta Falcons. He said that he was not in a good place after leaving the Falcons to concentrate on his mental health, and was just looking for anything to take his mind off things. Ridley acknowledged his wrongdoing, saying, “I just f—ed up.
Period.”
Ridley shared that he lost his joy for football when he played through a foot injury for the entire 2020 season. He revealed that he was told he had a bone bruise and took pain-killing injections to play. However, he later found out he had a broken bone in his foot when he saw a specialist two months before the 2021 season began. Ridley had surgery, but he still needed painkillers to play and was unable to spend quality time with his daughter. This led to him feeling mentally drained, and his anxiety skyrocketed when he found out that burglars had broken into his house following the Falcons’ season opener. He then shared that he tried to continue to play through the injury but told the team he needed help and began talking to a therapist.
Reflecting on his mistake, Ridley said being called in front of NFL investigators to be questioned about the bets in November 2021 was “probably the worst day of his life.” He said that his depression made it difficult for him to think about the future, and he was just trying to get through each day. However, Ridley is now feeling stronger mentally and physically and looking forward to his return to the game. He has high expectations for his partnership with Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, saying, “On my daughter’s name, if I’m healthy? With Trevor Lawrence? I’m giving Jacksonville 1,400 yards a season, period.”
The Athletic Reports 
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