Lane Johnson, a cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles, claims the wagers made from his account last year resulted in his NFL suspension, which was indefinite, were made for other people.
Lane was suspended in June of last year for breaking the gambling policy of the NFL while he was still with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts waived him that same day. After the Super Bowl,Lane, who was signed by the Eagles in August and put on the reserve/suspended list, may petition the NFL for reinstatement.
In his first interview after his ban, Lane disclosed to ESPN that he wagered on behalf of Floridians using his online sports gambling account. Citing legal concerns, he refused to reveal the identity of the clients he wagered for.
“Just trying to help friends and family out,” Lane stated in reference to sports betting during an ESPN “Outside The Lines” programme. “Just knowing that it wasn’t legal at the time in Florida and it was in Indiana.”
The NFL found that Lane had placed many wagers from the Colts’ facilities and wagered on his own team, among other infractions.
In addition, Lane, 26, stated that he “knew the rules” and realised he shouldn’t have made the wagers, adding, “and I got to take what comes with it.”
Although Lane had never gambled before, he told ESPN that over the course of five to six months, he had placed more than 100 wagers. He referred to the suspension as “a blessing” in many ways since it allowed him to spend more time with his friends and family, especially his two young daughters.
“That’s going to be the hardest part, especially with my son, with him having my exact same name,” Lane stated. “He might just Google his name for fun like I used to do as a kid and knowing what I’ve been through, the negativity that comes with me will pop up under his name.”
The Colts selected Lane, a native of Tampa, Florida, in the sixth round of the 2020 draft out of UMass. He’s had three careers.
