Calvin Ridley, another ex-Alabama WR, is just back from sports betting suspension

ALLEN PARK -- In the new world of sports gambling being a fingertip away, Jameson Williams and his teammates aren’t the first and likely won’t be the last to get suspended for this.

And now, the Detroit Lions wide receiver takes a similar path to another ultra-talented former Alabama wide receiver. Calvin Ridley’s situation was more extreme, with the Jaguars wideout losing a full season after getting suspended indefinitely for betting on sports, including NFL games and on his own team. Williams loses six games to start Year 2, and that’s for betting on sports, not including the NFL, an important caveat. Williams notably placed his bets from inside the team facility, which is where the league draws the line on allowing players to wager.

But the lost time due to injury leading into these lengthy suspensions for sports gambling is where Ridley and Williams’ paths merge.

Ridley hasn’t played since October 2021 while still with the Atlanta Falcons. And Williams just missed 11 games to open his rookie season. He also missed all of Organized Team Activities, minicamp, joint practices, training camp and the preseason to open his career. He then caught one pass on nine targets across six very limited appearances down the stretch.

Both have shown elite flashes, though. Ridley caught 90 balls for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in his last full season in 2020. And Williams might already be the fastest wide receiver in the league. He notched 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns at Alabama in 2021. And although he was limited, Williams took both of his NFL touches as a rookie for 40-plus yards.

Ridley had to apply for reinstatement after being suspended indefinitely, so there was another layer of unknown to his ordeal. Williams is set to be back after six games, and won’t need to apply for reinstatement. That’s still ample time away from the game and the blossoming team.

They never came close to playing together or crossing paths in Tuscaloosa. But the NFL and the game have a way of connecting players, especially those who play the same position and come from the same school. It’ll be interesting to see if the pair of Alabama stars connect in the coming months with those similar paths, top-flight talent and first-round billing.

It’s a rare situation, with only five NFL players suspended for betting on sports before Friday’s news. There hasn’t been a Lions player suspended for betting on sports in 60 years. Alex Karras missed the 1963 season for the Lions for betting on NFL games.

Defensive back Josh Shaw was suspended indefinitely for betting on an NFL game back in 2020. He ultimately missed 21 games before getting reinstated in March 2021. Jets receivers coach and former NFL wideout Miles Austin was suspended indefinitely for betting on other sports back in December 2022. He’ll miss at least one year, pending potential appeal.

But Ridley said he used the time away from the game to better himself on the path to “being Calvin Ridley,” though. That included reportedly watching every play of Jacksonville’s offense double-digit times. Ridley was there at the start of Jacksonville’s offseason program, sounding more than grateful for the newfound opportunity after his struggles and the suspension.

Ridley was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars while suspended away from the Falcons. The former 1,374-yard receiver was shipped for two future draft picks as both sides start fresh.

“I’ve been pretty good at football all my life,” Ridley said earlier this week, “ ... I’ve not only been good, but I also worked to be good. You know, they say two years off, but what about the healing process that I got with that time off? What if I got faster? What if I got stronger? Obviously, I got wiser. Why can’t I be better? So I kind of look at it like that.”

Ridley has also since talked about his mistakes and suspension, saying he made a regrettable choice “in a dark moment.” He previously dealt with a foot injury in 2020, then took time away from the Falcons to focus on his mental health the next season before the suspension hit.

“I paid the price, believe me. I’ve seen all the jokes,” Ridley wrote in a piece for the Players Tribune in March. “I’ve seen all the hate. And I can shoulder all of that, no problem. All I want is for people to understand that, when I made those bets, there was a hell of a lot more going on with me.

“Back then, I was depressed. I was battling anxiety. I didn’t even want to leave my house. Football was the only thing that ever gave my life meaning, and I couldn’t even find any joy in that at the time. Honestly, I couldn’t even get up off the chair in my living room.”

Not much is known about Williams’ specific situation besides that it came from inside the team’s practice facility, and that other teammates and staffers were guilty of the same or similar. The 2022 first-round pick posted a downward-facing photo of his shoes to his Instagram story on Friday morning, with the caption, “Cold world out here fr, better at least make yo mama smile b4 all this (expletive) end.”

And Williams was just in the headlines earlier this week surrounding his presence at the voluntary start of the team’s offseason program. Brad Holmes said Williams was in the building as of Wednesday. Then the team posted a photo of Williams watching Marvin Jones on the squat rack. Williams was also recently spotted working out with teammates in California. And for those looking for the bright side, the speedy wideout can still participate in the offseason program and even play in preseason games.

All of this comes after the Lions general manager called having Williams in the fold for 2023 like having an “extra first-round pick.” And Holmes admitted he never cared if Williams played in 2022, so there is some obvious belief in his talent. But all that comes to a screeching halt for now, with Williams set to miss six more games in Year 2.

“We’re just gonna continue to do everything that we need to do to make sure that he’s set up to succeed,” Holmes said at the scouting combine. “Jameson also has to hold his part and make sure that he’s doing everything that he needs to do. So it’s always an accountability factor on both sides, but we expect big things from him. He’s got rare talent, rare ability. He’s got a serious passion for the game. We expect big things from him. But obviously, we’ve got to do both our parts to make sure he’s successful.”

His path to unlocking his full potential just got much cloudier. But Williams would be wise to turn to Ridley for advice on the path forward and how to overcome the obstacles ahead.