FOXBOROUGH – Kayshon Boutte wanted people to know what he went through, which is why the Patriots receiver opened up.
This week, Boutte published an article titled “How The Hell Did I Get Here???,” in The Players’ Tribune. The receiver opened up about his gambling addiction and admitted that he nearly quit football during his first training camp with the Patriots.
On Thursday, Boutte said that he was contacted by someone at The Players’ Tribune asking if he was willing to open up about his past. He didn’t hesitate and told a story of how he lost $90,000 while gambling as a student at LSU.
“I was instantly into it. I wasn’t really scared about it or nervous about it or anything like that,” Boutte said. “It’s always good to talk about what you went through. I think that’s what makes you who you are today. I think it was cool. It wasn’t no second opinion, no second doubt about doing it. I was always like, ‘Yeah, I will.’”
During his sophomore year, Boutte suffered a broken ankle. After two surgeries, he admitted he was depressed about his situation. That’s when he started an account on FanDuel while underage.
The allegations came to light in 2024 when he was arrested for underage gambling and fraud charges. Those charges were eventually dropped when Boutte completed a gambling awareness program, and due to him not placing bets against himself or LSU.
With sports gambling becoming more widespread, Boutte wanted to spread awareness for those dealing with similar issues.
“Some people do it just cause and some people do it because it’s all they know,” Boutte said. “There’s two sides to it. I think what a lot of people fail to realize is that addiction is not always drugs and stuff like that. It can be gambling, and a lot of people don’t realize it until it’s too late.”
The injury at LSU, combined with rumors about his character, led to Boutte falling to the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In his article, the receiver also revealed that he nearly quit football that first offseason.
Boutte wrote that one time during training camp, he stood up while in a team meeting and just walked out of Gillette Stadium. He said he told someone in the Patriots front office that he was “done with football” and “didn’t want to play anymore.”
Boutte said he received a call from someone on the Patriots and his agent. Both convinced him to get out of his car and walk back into the building.
”It was one of those things where I was kind of talking about everything I really went through,” Boutte said on Thursday. “So, I mean, that actually was a thing about my rookie year. I never really told nobody. Nobody knew anything like that. But it feels good to talk about.”
Boutte said at the time, his emotions were running high, and he was tired, physically and emotionally. He added that he’s on the better side of it all and is grateful he decided to stick it out with the Patriots.
This season, Boutte caught 33 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns. The receiver said he hoped that by writing what he did, a bigger message would be received.
“I think before you are quick to judge somebody, it’s always a person behind what they’re going through,” Boutte said.