Calvin Ridley

On January 10, 2018, it was announced that Ridley would forego his senior year at Alabama in favor of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Ridley was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round (26th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. On July 5, 2018, Ridley signed a four-year deal worth $10.9 million featuring a $6.1 million signing bonus.

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. On November 11, against Mississippi State, he had five receptions for 171 receiving yards in the victory. 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. 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.

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. On October 1, Ridley hauled in 11 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns against the University of Kentucky. His 11 receptions, 174 yards, and two touchdowns were career highs. Over the remainder of the 2016 season, he had 41 receptions for 371 receiving yards and four touchdowns. 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.

Ridley attended and played college football at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban. Ridley earned immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2015. In his first career game on September 5, 2015, he had three receptions for 22 yards against the University of Wisconsin. He scored his first collegiate touchdown in a victory over Louisiana-Monroe on September 26. In the following game, against Georgia, he had five receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown in the victory. He followed that up with 140 receiving yards and a touchdown in a victory over Arkansas. In the SEC Championship against Florida, he had eight receptions for 102 yards in the victory. 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. 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. Ridley led the SEC in receptions with 89 in 2015.

As a youngster, Ridley played Pop Warner football in the same league as Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown and Oakland Raiders cornerback Trayvon Mullen, in the Pompano Beach area of Florida just 4 miles from the high school he would attend. Ridley attended Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he played high school football for the Knights. He played only three games in his senior year due to Florida age restriction rules, which doesn't allow anyone over the age of 19 and nine months to be eligible. Ridley was rated as a five-star recruit and was considered the best receiver in the class of 2015 according to 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN. He committed to the University of Alabama to play college football on April 19, 2014.

After a quiet NFL debut against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, he had four receptions for 64 yards and his first NFL touchdown in a 31–24 victory over the Carolina Panthers. On September 23, in Week 3, Ridley recorded seven receptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns in a 43–37 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints. He followed that up with four receptions for 54 yards and two touchdowns in the next game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

In Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, Ridley caught four passes for 64 yards and the first receiving touchdown of the season as the Falcons lost 12–28. In Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Ridley caught eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown as the Falcons won 24–20. During Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers, Ridley finished with eight catches for 143 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Falcons won 29–3. During Week 14 against the Carolina 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. Overall, Ridley finished the 2019 season with 63 receptions for 866 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.

Calvin Orin Ridley (born December 20, 1994) is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, and was drafted by the Falcons in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Ridley was named the Offensive Rookie of the Month for the month of September for collecting six touchdown receptions, which was the most in the league and tied an NFL record for a rookie in his first four games. In Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ridley broke the Falcons single-season receiving touchdowns by a rookie record after scoring 10 touchdowns. The record was previously set by Junior 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 to PFWA All-Rookie Team, becoming the fourth Atlanta Falcons receiver to get this award, joining Shawn Collins (1989), Mike Pritchard (1991), & Julio Jones (2011).