It’s not every day a player as admired as Kayshon Boutte gets candid about a gambling addiction. Yet, he’s different, and his personal essay published in The Players’ Tribune is enough to show that. His honest gambling confession is being credited for changing lives, and the New England Patriots couldn’t be prouder. 

“That’s not easy to do,” head coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged, via Mike Kadlick on X. “He’s a private person, but I’ve seen a lot of growth from him personally … For him to be able to open up and share those things publicly, and as candidly as he did, I’m proud of him.”

The “growth” Vrabel mentioned was clearly visible when he got his hands on the ball. This season, Boutte has stepped up as one of quarterback Drake Maye’s most trusted targets.

Drafted in the sixth round of 2023, he has transformed into a major threat for the Patriots’ offense, especially under Vrabel’s reign. Over 14 games, he caught 33 passes for 551 yards and scored six touchdowns. That brings his average to an impressive 16.7 yards per catch.

His impact was especially felt during the Patriots’ recent 16-3 wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite dealing with a hamstring injury that limited his practice time, he suited up and led the team with four catches for 66 yards.

While he’s been making headlines throughout the offense for being the team’s leading receiver in catches, his gambling confession took the conversation in an entirely different direction. His essay was titled “How The Hell Did I Get Here???” where he opened up about how he fell in love with gambling at an early age. 

“I’d wake up early in the morning, and the first thing I’d do was bet. I’d stay up late and bet. All day. All night,” Boutte revealed. “I had insomnia, so if I woke up in the middle of the night, phone next to the bed, I’d bet. Any little money I had, it was going straight to [betting].”

His gambling addiction eventually led to serious legal consequences. In January 2024, Boutte was arrested in Louisiana for illegal sports gambling. He was accused of using a fake account to place nearly 9,000 bets while he was still under 21, which is the legal gambling age in that state.

Some of those bets were even placed on LSU games, although investigators confirmed he never bet against himself. However, he eventually turned himself in on charges of computer fraud and underage gaming. After he completed a recovery program, the charges were dismissed. 

Things took such a dire turn that Boutte almost quit gridiron. But the Patriots stood tall by him. Many teams might have cut ties with a late-round pick facing legal issues, but the Patriots offered support instead. 

In his essay, he wrote: “I owe the Patriots organization everything, because after the season ended, my past came back on me.”

Now, all he hopes is that other organizations also learns from the Patriots and treat players struggling with mental health or addiction in an ideal way. 

What got Kayshon Boutte back on the right path?

Boutte might not have ever recovered if it weren’t for two major turning points in his life. He admitted in his essay that he didn’t fix his life entirely on his own. Getting healthy enough to play football again and becoming a father during his junior year of college were the reasons he survived it and continues walking on that path. 

“Nothing wakes you up faster than that,” he admitted about becoming a father. “Growing up, my dad was a real hard-working dude, doing offshore, blue collar work — getting up at 5 or 6 a.m. I didn’t really come from a rich household, but anything we wanted, my parents made it happen. And I wanted to be that for my family.”

Though he began his recovery period, things didn’t get better overnight. In his junior year, he wasn’t at his best, but the Patriots saw “potential” in him, and that’s why he came to the NFL. He wanted to see his name getting picked in the first round, but he was left waiting till the sixth round.

Top Stories

Jerry Jones Announces Retirement Plans as Dallas Cowboys Owner Makes Triple Decision on Coaching Hiring

Mike Tomlin Receives New Job Offer as Steelers Make Final Decision on Firing HC After Aaron Rodgers’ Fury – Report

Chiefs Officially Cut Ties With 7 Players as Patrick Mahomes Pays the Price for Offensive Failures

Sean McDermott Announces Concerning Josh Allen News as Bills HC Confirms Double Setback Before Broncos Game

Mike Tomlin Announces Steelers Exit: How Much Does Pittsburgh Owe Him After Stepping Down

But eventually he realized, whether you are picked first or sixth, the opportunity to play at this level is what counts.