.png) Ridley with the Titans in 2024 | |||||||||
| No. 0 –Tennessee Titans | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1994-12-20)December 20, 1994 (age 30) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Monarch (Coconut Creek, Florida) | ||||||||
| College: | Alabama (2015–2017) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2018: 1st round, 26th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Calvin Orin Ridley (born December 20, 1994) is an American professionalfootballwide receiver for theTennessee Titans of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theAlabama Crimson Tide, where he was a part of thenational championship-winning teams in2015 and2017. Drafted by theAtlanta Falcons in the first round of the2018 NFL draft, he was named to thePFWA All-Rookie Team and earned second-teamAll-Pro honors in 2020.
After announcing midway through the 2021 season that he would be stepping away from football due to mental health reasons, it was later revealed that Ridley would be suspended indefinitely through at least the conclusion of the 2022 season for violating the league's gambling policy. While suspended, he was traded to theJacksonville Jaguars and was reinstated the following year.
Calvin Orin Ridley was born to Colin Ridley and Kay Daniels inFort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 20, 1994. He is the eldest of 4 brothers.[1] His younger brother,Riley Ridley, playedcollege football forGeorgia and was selected in the 4th round of the2019 NFL draft.[2] In 2002, Ridley and his younger brothers were taken to afoster home after their father was deported back toGuyana and their mother was imprisoned.[3]
When he was younger, Ridley playedPop Warner football in the same league asBaltimore Ravens quarterbackLamar Jackson,Arizona Cardinals wide receiverMarquise Brown and Ravens cornerbackTrayvon Mullen, in thePompano Beach area of Florida just four miles from the high school he would attend.[4] Ridley attendedMonarch High School inCoconut Creek, Florida, where he playedhigh school football for the Knights. He played only three games in his senior year due toFlorida age restriction rules, which doesn't allow anyone over the age of 19 and nine months to be eligible.[5]
Ridley was rated as a five-star recruit and was considered the best receiver in the class of 2015 according to247Sports,Rivals, andESPN.[6] He committed to theUniversity of Alabama to playcollege football on April 19, 2014.[7] He began enrollment at Alabama on June 19, 2015.[8]
Ridley attended and played college football at the University of Alabama underNick Saban from 2015 to 2017.[9]
Ridley earned immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2015.[10] In his first career game on September 5, 2015, he had three receptions for 22 yards against theUniversity of Wisconsin.[11] He scored his first collegiate touchdown in a victory over Louisiana-Monroe on September 26.[12] In the following game, against Georgia, he had five receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown in the victory.[13] He followed that up with 140 receiving yards and a touchdown in a victory over Arkansas.[14] In the SEC Championship against Florida, he had eight receptions for 102 yards in the victory.[15] The Alabama Crimson Tide made the College Football Playoff. In the 38–0 victory over Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl, he had 138 receiving yards and two touchdowns.[16] In the National Championship against Clemson, he was held to six receptions for 14 yards but the Crimson Tide won the National Championship by a score of 45–40.[17] Ridley led the SEC in receptions with 89 in 2015.[18]
In the 2016 season, Ridley remained a strong threat for the Crimson Tide. In the second game of the season, he had nine receptions for 129 receiving yards and a touchdown against Western Kentucky.[19] On October 1, Ridley hauled in 11 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns against theUniversity of Kentucky. His 11 receptions, 174 yards, and two touchdowns were career highs.[20] Over the remainder of the 2016 season, he had 41 receptions for 371 receiving yards and four touchdowns.[21] Alabama once again won the SEC Championship and made the College Football Playoff. However, they fell to Clemson in a rematch in the National Championship.[22]
In the 2017 season, Ridley started off strong with seven receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown in the 24–7 victory over Florida State.[23] On November 11, against Mississippi State, he had five receptions for 171 receiving yards in the victory.[24] Alabama made the College Football Playoff once again in the 2017 season. In the National Semifinal, Ridley had four receptions for 39 yards in the Sugar Bowl.[25] In the National Championship against Georgia, he had four receptions for 32 yards and the late game-tying touchdown to help force overtime in the 26–23 victory.[26]
On January 10, 2018, it was announced that Ridley would forgo his senior year at Alabama in favor of the2018 NFL draft.[27]
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2015 | Alabama | 15 | 89 | 1,045 | 11.7 | 7 |
| 2016 | Alabama | 15 | 72 | 769 | 10.7 | 7 |
| 2017 | Alabama | 14 | 63 | 967 | 15.3 | 5 |
| Career | 44 | 224 | 2,781 | 12.4 | 19 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+1⁄2 in (1.84 m) | 189 lb (86 kg) | 31+5⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.43 s | 1.53 s | 2.60 s | 4.37 s | 6.88 s | 31 in (0.79 m) | 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) | 15 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[28][29] | ||||||||||||
Ridley was drafted by theAtlanta Falcons in the first round with the 26th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.[30] On July 5, 2018, Ridley signed a four-year deal worth $10.9 million featuring a $6.1 million signing bonus.[31]
After a quiet NFL debut against thePhiladelphia Eagles in Week 1, he had four receptions for 64 yards and his first NFL touchdown in a 31–24 victory over theCarolina Panthers.[32] On September 23, in Week 3, Ridley recorded seven receptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns in a 43–37 overtime loss to theNew Orleans Saints.[33] He followed that up with four receptions for 54 yards and two touchdowns in the next game against theCincinnati Bengals.[34]
Ridley was named the Offensive Rookie of the Month for September after collecting six touchdown receptions, which was the most in the league and tied an NFL record for a rookie in his first four games.[35] In Week 17 against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, Ridley broke the Falcons single-season receiving touchdowns by a rookie record after scoring 10 touchdowns. The record was previously set byJunior Miller in 1980. Ridley finished the 2018 season leading all rookies in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, as well as leading all rookie wide receivers in receptions. He was named toPFWA All-Rookie Team, becoming the fourth Atlanta Falcons receiver to get this award, joiningShawn Collins (1989),Mike Pritchard (1991), andJulio Jones (2011).[36]
In Week 1 against theMinnesota Vikings, Ridley caught four passes for 64 yards and the first receiving touchdown of the season as the Falcons lost 12–28.[37] In Week 2 against thePhiladelphia Eagles, Ridley caught eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown as the Falcons won 24–20.[38] In Week 11 against the Panthers, Ridley finished with eight catches for 143 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Falcons won 29–3.[39] In Week 14 against the Panthers, Ridley had five catches for 76 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 40–20 win. Ridley suffered an abdominal injury during the game and was ruled out for the rest of the season.[40] Overall, Ridley finished the 2019 season with 63 receptions for 866 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.[41]
In Week 1 against theSeattle Seahawks, Ridley recorded a career-high nine receptions for 130 yards and two receiving touchdowns as the Falcons lost 25–38.[42] In Week 2 against theDallas Cowboys, Ridley caught seven passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns during the 39–40 loss.[43] Ridley tiedAndre Rison for the franchise record for the most receiving touchdowns in the team's first two games of a season with four.[44] Ridley posted his third consecutive 100-yard game in Week 3, posting five receptions for 110 receiving yards in a 26–30 loss to theChicago Bears.[45]In the following week's game against the Panthers, Ridley continued his early season form, recording eight catches for 136 yards during the 23–16 loss.[46]
In Week 14 against theLos Angeles Chargers, Ridley recorded eight catches for 124 yards and a touchdown during the 20–17 loss.[47]In Week 15 against the Buccaneers, Ridley recorded ten catches for 163 yards and a touchdown during the 31–27 loss.[48]In Week 16 against theKansas City Chiefs, Ridley recorded five catches for 130 yards during the 17–14 loss.[49] Ridley was named to the Associated Press' All-Pro 2nd Team for his performance during the 2020 season.[50] He finished the 2020 season with 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine receiving touchdowns.[51] He was ranked 65th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2021.[52]
In March 2023, Ridley revealed that he had played the majority of the 2020 season with a broken foot.[53]
On May 3, 2021, the Falcons exercised the fifth-year option on Ridley's contract.[54] The option guarantees a salary of $11.1 million for the 2022 season.[55]
In Week 1 against thePhiladelphia Eagles, Ridley caught 5 passes for 51 yards in the 32–6 loss.[56] Against the Buccaneers in Week 2, Ridley caught his first receiving touchdown of the season to go along with 7 receptions for 63 yards.[56] The next week against theNew York Giants, Ridley had eight receptions for 61 yards as the Falcons picked up their first win of the season, winning 17–14.[56] After not traveling with the Falcons for theirLondon game against theNew York Jets the previous week due to an undisclosed personal matter,[57] Ridley returned on October 24 against theMiami Dolphins, catching four passes for 26 yards and a touchdown, helping the Falcons win 30–28.[56]
On October 31, Ridley announced onTwitter that he was stepping away from football due to mental-health reasons.[58][59] Ridley finished the season with 31 receptions for 281 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in five games played.[60]
"I just f***ed up. Period. In a dark moment, I made a stupid mistake. I wasn't trying to cheat the game. That's the thing I want to make clear. At the time, I had been completely away from the team for about a month. I was still just so depressed and angry, and the days were so long. I was looking for anything to take my mind off of things and make the day go by faster."
The NFL announced on March 7, 2022, that Ridley would be suspended indefinitely through at least the conclusion of the2022 season forbetting on games in the previous season, including on his own team. He forfeited his base salary of $11.1 million for 2022.[61]
On November 1, 2022, despite being suspended for at least the entire 2022 season, the Falcons traded Ridley to theJacksonville Jaguars for conditional2023 sixth-round and2024 fourth-round picks. The 2023 pick was to become a fifth-rounder if Ridley was reinstated and the 2024 pick can either become a third-round pick based on playing time or a second-round pick if he signs a long-term extension.[62]
On February 15, 2023, Ridley applied for reinstatement, his first day eligible to do so.[63] He was officially reinstated on March 6, just a day before the first anniversary of his initial suspension.[64] Shortly after, Ridley announced he would be changing his jersey number to 0 after the NFL'sjersey numbering system was modified to allow the number 0 to be worn, becoming the first player in franchise history to have the number.[65]
On September 10, 2023, Ridley made his Jaguars debut in Week 1 against theIndianapolis Colts. In his first game in 686 days, Ridley caught eight passes for 101 yards and a receiving touchdown as the Jaguars won 31–21.[66] In Week 11 against the Titans, he had seven receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the win.[67] He had two receiving touchdowns in a Week 16 loss to the Buccaneers.[68] He finished the2023 season with 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns.[69]
On March 15, 2024, Ridley signed a four-year $92 million deal with theTennessee Titans.[70] He finished the2024 season with 64 receptions for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns.[71]
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2018 | ATL | 16 | 5 | 92 | 64 | 821 | 12.8 | 75 | 10 | 6 | 27 | 4.5 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | ATL | 13 | 10 | 93 | 63 | 866 | 13.7 | 36 | 7 | 2 | 34 | 17.0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | ATL | 15 | 15 | 143 | 90 | 1,374 | 15.3 | 63 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0.2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | ATL | 5 | 5 | 52 | 31 | 281 | 9.1 | 22 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | ATL | Suspended | ||||||||||||||
| JAX | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | JAX | 17 | 17 | 136 | 76 | 1,016 | 13.4 | 59 | 8 | 9 | 23 | 2.6 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | TEN | 17 | 14 | 120 | 64 | 1,017 | 15.8 | 63 | 4 | 8 | 55 | 6.9 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Career | 83 | 66 | 603 | 388 | 5,375 | 13.9 | 75 | 40 | 30 | 140 | 4.7 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 3 | |
Ridley is married and has a daughter who was born in 2020.[3]
On September 12, 2021, the Ridley's home was robbed while he was playing against thePhiladelphia Eagles. Ridley developedanxiety following the robbery.[72]
