Former Gators WR Antonio Callaway Signs With XFL Team

The troubled former Florida Gators wide receiver has landed on his feet, getting a second chance at pro football in the XFL.

The XFL's Tampa Bay Vipers are pretty much becoming Florida Gators' south.

Former Gators wide receiver Antonio Callaway will join defensive end Cece Jefferson, offensive tackle Martez Ivey, running back Mack Brown, and tight end DeAndre Goolsby, as the team announced that they have added him via waivers.

Callaway, 23, previously spent under two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, as a fourth round pick in 2018. Depsite tallying 51 receptions for 675 yards and five scores, Callaway was released by the Browns in the middle of the 2019 season for receiving a 10 game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, his second substance offense.

The talented receiver has a history of misconduct, which led to no interest in the NFL free agent market. While he was at Florida, Callaway was cited for marijuana in May of 2017, involvement in a credit card scam that lost him his entire junior season, and accusations of sexual assault in 2016 that were eventually cleared after a Title IX hearing.

With the Vipers and the new-look XFL, Callaway will have a chance to rebound in his NFL career and show NFL teams why they should take a chance on his talent after being reinstated from his suspension in week four of the upcoming 2020 NFL season.

The XFL kicks off its inaugural season the weekend of February 8th-9th, with the Vipers traveling to New York to face the Guardians on Sunday at 2 P.M.

The new XFL, a rebrand of the old WWE venture in 2001, laid out its vision statement on its site:

The XFL is a brand new, fan-first league that’s reimagining the game of football and offering fans an opportunity to experience more action, access and fun.

The XFL will allow players to accept NFL contracts following the conclusion of each season, scheduled prior to the annual NFL Draft in April.