Jameson Williams, wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, was recently suspended for betting on non-NFL games at an NFL facility. Williams is currently allowed to participate in training and other organized team activities.
“I broke the policy,” Williams said. “It is what it is.”
However, when Williams was asked by local reporters whether he was aware of this policy, he claimed he was not. Fellow Lions teammate, Stanley Berryhill, was suspended due to a violation of the same policy, perhaps calling into question how well the players understand the rules surrounding their abilities to bet.
Williams did not clarify either which game he bet on or when the bet was made. When asked whether he bet often, he added, “No frequent gambling. I’m not a gambler. I’m a football player. I was hurt because I ain’t knew things like this was coming.” [sic]
The suspended wide receiver cannot play until week 7, which will mean missing 17 of the first 23 games of his budding football career.
Williams urged other players, as well as himself, to be more conscious in future. He commented, “Just make the right decisions, you know? It was something I wasn’t aware of that caught me.”
Coach Dan Campbell commented on the young player’s permitted participation in this year’s training, noting an injury Williams suffered to his ACL the previous year. He said, “We didn’t get this with him last year; he wasn’t able to do any of it. He’s got a lot of room to grow and develop, and he needs this time.”
