Tennessee Titans' Nicholas Petit-Frere addresses gambling suspension, apologizes to team, fans
Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere doesn't want to dwell on the specifics. He's focused on the lessons.
The NFL suspended Petit-Frere six games to start the 2023 season for violating the league's gambling policy in June. Speaking to reporters for the first time since the suspension on Wednesday, Petit-Frere elected not to divulge what bet he placed or where he placed it to trigger the suspension, only that it occurred last year and that he's trying to learn from the mistake.
"I don’t really think (the details of the bet) matters," Petit-Frere said. "It’s just that I broke the policy. That’s kind of the main point that was being established. That’s why I have the suspension. What I need to do is learn from it, get as many reps as I can out here, be as great a teammate as I can and be an even better person and teammate off the field. Make sure that I help everyone that’s around me and make sure that this team can win games when I’m not here and then make sure when I’m back we become even better."
Petit-Frere was on the field for the Titans' first full-team practice Wednesday and participated in individual drills but didn't take any first- or second-team reps in team activity.
The NFL forbids players from placing sports bets of any kind while in a team facility, at a team hotel or traveling with the team. Petit-Frere said he wants to make it clear he didn't place a bet on the NFL, an action that would've triggered a minimum one season suspension.
Petit-Frere said he thinks the league has done a better job of teaching and reemphasizing the letter of the law, but he individually takes the blame for the infraction, saying it was his mistake to not understand the rules perfectly before placing a bet.
A second-year offensive tackle from Ohio State, Petit-Frere started 16 games at right tackle as a rookie. Without Petit-Frere in the first two months of the season, the Titans' options at tackle will include Jamarco Jones, Jaelyn Duncan, Andrew Rupcich and John Ojukwu.
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"It sucks," Petit-Frere said about the suspension. "When I first was drafted the only goal I had was to help make this team better. What comes with that is being out here, trying to work as hard as I can and trying to play with my teammates. So me not getting the opportunity, it hurts. I’m very apologetic to my team. I’m apologetic to all the coaches. And I’m also really apologetic to Titan Nation for me not being able to get the opportunity to be with the boys and work as hard as I can.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans Nicholas Petit-Frere apologizes for gambling violation
