Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley gave his side on Wednesday of an airport dispute with a valet at Nashville International Airport.
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. on Saturday as Ridley attempted to retrieve the keys to his truck without a physical valet ticket, yahoo.com reported.
Ridley said he showed identification, a photograph, and other documents to prove ownership of the vehicle before taking the keys from the valet’s hands, according to foxnews.com.
What Ridley and the Titans Said
“I took my keys out of his hand,” Calvin Ridley said, via yahoo.com. “I didn’t have the ticket. Once you don’t have the ticket, you show him your ID, you fill out a form. I also showed him a picture, I also showed him more that it’s my truck.”
Ridley added that family members were waiting upstairs while he retrieved the vehicle, espn.com reported. His wife, mother, and two young daughters were waiting at the top, according to espn.com.
“My wife and kids was at the top. My mom was at the top. I came down by myself to get it. It’s 11 p.m. at night. They gave me the hardest time to get my truck. I just got my keys, got the registration,” Ridley told reporters, as noted by foxnews.com.
Ridley added that he gave the valet the registration after getting the keys, and his wife then came down so they could get in the truck and leave, according to foxnews.com. Ridley was not detained at the airport, sports.yahoo.com reported.
Sources cited by sports.yahoo.com said that Ridley grew frustrated when the valet would not give him his keys because he lacked a ticket and the valet could not verify the truck.
He said that the valet yelled about suffering a finger injury during the exchange, but Ridley added he did not know what happened, according to sports.yahoo.com.
Titans star Calvin Ridley breaks his silence on mysterious 'incident' at Nashville Airport https://t.co/eZa95E77h3
“He yelled I broke his finger,” Ridley said, per foxnews.com. “I don’t know what happened.”
Ridley also answered when asked if the valet’s hand got cut, stating that he did not know what he did and did not look at anything, sports.yahoo.com reported.
Titans head coach Robert Saleh addressed the situation on Monday after the team returned from a bye week, describing it as a minor issue, espn.com reported.
“From my understanding it was a very minor miscommunication at the airport,” Robert Saleh said, according to sports.yahoo.com. “Unfortunately, law enforcement has it, and that’s about as far as I can go with commenting.”
Ridley Remains with the Titans Amid Unclear Legal Status
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority was contacted by the Titans regarding the incident, espn.com reported.
Ridley stated on Wednesday that law enforcement had not yet been in touch with him, and it remains unclear whether formal charges have been filed, foxnews.com reported.
Titans' Calvin Ridley involved in incident at Nashville International 📸 Steve Roberts, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect https://t.co/Y8TPlcIIj2 pic.twitter.com/75h5fBnsAe
The incident took place days before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, sports.yahoo.com reported. Ridley did not get traded and remains with the Titans, sports.yahoo.com noted.
He has recorded six receptions for 91 yards through seven games this season.
