Former Alabama football wide receiver, Calvin Ridley has been suspended for the 2022 season by the NFL for betting on games, according to multiple reports.
Ridley played for Alabama from 2015 to 2017 before being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He played in five games in 2021 with the Falcons before leaving the team to focus on his mental health. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote Ridley’s action put the integrity of the game at risk in a letter notifying Ridley of the suspension.
“There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL’s success — and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league — than upholding the integrity of the game,” Goodell wrote. “This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official, and anyone else employed in the league. Your actions put the integrity of the game at risk, threatened to damage public confidence in professional football, and potentially undermined the reputations of your fellow players throughout the NFL.”
“For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy warranting the most substantial sanction. In your case, I acknowledge and commend you for your promptly reporting for an interview, and for admitting your actions.”
