Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams said he was unaware of the NFL’s strict gambling rules after he was hit with a six-game suspension.
Four Lions players were suspended by the NFL last month for gambling violations. Williams, the most high-profile star in the group, was the only one to keep his job at the franchise.
He has now addressed the suspension for the first time in a press conference.
“It hit me out of the of blue,” he said. “It hit a couple other players around the league and on my team out of the blue.
“I wasn't aware of this situation, but as it happened, I took it on the chin. I was ready to move forward. As things moved on, I got the consequences. That’s been my whole plan, moving forward from things, just looking at the better days.”
Williams and fellow WR Stanley Berryhill were suspended for six games apiece, while WR Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore were suspended indefinitely, along with Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders. All of those players apart from Williams have since been released.
He decided against appealing the suspension. “I just left it alone. They gave me six games and we left it that. Just looking forward to coming back Week 7, getting back on my team out there playing the game,” Williams, a No. 12 overall pick in 2012, told reporters.
