Reche Caldwell Speaks on Criminal History, Police Raids, More

Former NFL wide receiver Reche Caldwell detailed a bizarre crime spree in his hometown of Tampa, Florida, that eventually resulted in a 27-month prison sentence in an ESPN The Magazine interview released Thursday.  

ESPN's David Fleming visited Caldwell at a minimum-security federal prison camp in Montgomery, Alabama, and discovered a 37-year-old former University of Florida standout who openly joked about his missteps.

Caldwell played for the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots and Washington Redskins between 2002 and 2007.  The St. Louis Rams (now of Los Angeles) released him before the 2008 season. Alas, he's probably best remembered for a couple of key drops in the 2006 AFC Championship Game, a narrow loss for the Pats.

His brother, fellow NFL wideout Andre Caldwell, told ESPN he believes that game was the root cause of what came after his NFL career ended: "The way the game kicked him to the curb like an unwanted stepchild hurt him mentally and haunted him. Reche got a little bit of a selfish attitude out of it, like, 'Forget everybody else. I'm gonna start worrying about me.'"

The first major run-in with the law came in 2014, when authorities busted a gambling operation Reche Caldwell was running out of a former auto shop. He told ESPN that the biggest problem was the massive activity increase at the shop, located across from an elementary school:

"

I see now, yup, not the greatest location for that kind of thing. Too big, too fast. I laugh at my stuff too. What else can you do? I have to laugh. I really thought I was some kind of a criminal? All I know is, everyone kept telling me, "The police don't care about this stuff, you'll never get caught," and the next thing I know I'm headed to prison, saying goodbye to my kids, wondering: "What happened to me?"

"

He recalled what he thought when the SWAT team showed up: "Damn, man, you blasted the door with a tank? Why didn't ya just knock? I woulda let y'all in."

Caldwell also described what led to his arrest and eventual conviction for possession with intent to distribute ethylone, the drug known as Molly. In 2015, the Tampa Bay Times reported on the 27-month sentence and three years of supervised probation he faces upon his release.

All it took was a quick Google search about getting the drug shipped from China, with an eye on making $180,000 on a $2,000 investment, he said. When he signed for the package, which had since been flagged, the SWAT team appeared once again.

His thoughts this time? "Aw, man, not again."

The ESPN report noted Caldwell is eligible to leave the prison in Alabama for a work-release facility back home in Tampa this month. Meanwhile, his mother, Deborah Caldwell, summed it up best: "Good lord that boy was a bad criminal, and thank Jesus for that."

The former receiver said he doesn't blame football, concussions or his upbringing for the issues. "This is about losing my way, being around bad people and making bad choices, and that's all on me," he said.

Caldwell is fortunate his lowbrow criminal activity didn't end in a longer prison stint. The Tampa Bay Times reported the charges could have led to a 20-year sentence, but his short criminal history allowed him to receive the far less serious result.