When Jacksonville Jaguars’ receiver Calvin Ridley released his Players Tribune Article in March, he said he paid the price. Yet, NFL players are still being tied up in gambling issues.

Ridley was suspended indefinitely in March 2022 after being investigated for gambling while he was a member of the Atlanta Falcons, but was reinstated by the league in March of this year.

“Yeah, it bugs me a little because my NFL buddies didn’t look at me and say, ‘Aw man, hell, that’s serious,’” Ridley told the Times-Union on Monday after the Jaguars held mandatory minicamp.

“I wish they would’ve looked at me and said, ‘Wow, they did him like that? I hope it doesn’t happen to me.’ Because that’s what I would’ve done. If I would’ve seen one of my NFL buddies get slammed like that, I would’ve been a little bit afraid and watching myself. But you know, it is what it is, they have to learn the hard way like I did. It’s gonna be alright though.”

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Head coach Doug Pederson said Monday he’s told the team Ridley would be a great resource if any players needed someone to communicate with about gambling temptations.

“What Calvin has gone through is definitely a testimony to the rest of our football team and hopefully the rest of the league,” he said. “I don’t want to put Calvin in a spotlight situation. I don’t want to bring all this attention on him but at the same time I have mentioned to the team, if they’re going through anything or if they’re tempted in any way, reach out to Calvin. He’d be a great resource to talk to.

“We’re in a day and age where gambling is everywhere,” Pederson continued. “With all the websites that are out there, apps and all that kind of stuff, we have to be very careful.”

Ridley’s suspension came with an emotional toll for the star wide receiver. He was already away from the Falcons due to mental health reasons and once the suspension was levied, he was even more isolated.

But that suspension also came with knowledge he’s passed on to other players who’ve talked with him for advice.

“A couple guys reached out. I just schooled them on what I know and how serious it is,” Ridley said. “I think, even for me, once I found out I was getting investigated, I didn’t even know [how serious it was]. I was like, ‘okay, cool.’ I didn’t know how serious it was until I left that interview.

“It’s just schooling the guys on not to do it. It’s not worth it at all. I really think we don’t understand how serious it is. We kind of go over it and then it’s gone. It’s a real serious offense. You don’t want to do it, mess with the integrity of the game and your job. Just stay away from it if you can.”

On Monday, Ridley expounded on what he meant when he said he paid the price. At the time, he didn’t realize the severity of his actions and thought he’d get a lighter punishment due to his circumstances.

But instead, the league decided to punish him to the full extent. As a result, Ridley doesn’t want to see other players follow the same path he did.

“I paid the price for sure because with my situation, and with all these other situations, I was going through something on my own and I was away from the team. I was a first rounder with millions of dollars. I could’ve bet as much money as I wanted,” he said as he reflected. “I went in and told them the truth and didn’t lie. I was kind of hoping that they could understand it and have a heart. I represented the NFL pretty well, I thought. I was looking at it as like, imma go tell the truth, I didn’t know what I was doing, I was at home, I wasn’t part of the team. Maybe they’ll give me a little slack.

“No, they slapped me. I don’t want any of the young guys or any of my brothers in this league to get into any trouble with that.”

Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @JustonLewis_.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Calvin Ridley wishes NFL players learned from his gambling suspension