Giants Kicker’s Heartbreaking Confession Exposes Sports Betting Toxicity Amid Marshawn Kneeland’s Mental Health Tragedy

Graham Gano revealed he receives death threats from fans when he makes a bad play or when the team experiences a poor loss.

Giants Kicker’s Heartbreaking Confession Exposes Sports Betting Toxicity Amid Marshawn Kneeland’s Mental Health Tragedy

Marshawn Kneeland and Graham Gano (Image via IMAGO/X)

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In the light of Marshawn Kneeland‘s death, New York Giants kicker Graham Gano opened up about his personal struggles. A 17-year veteran of the NFL, Gano outright called out the sports betting circle for making life hard for players.

Gano signed with the Giants in 2020. The Giants went 28-84 during his time in the Big Apple, with just one trip to the playoffs via the wildcard.

With the team stuck in mediocrity, players have become frequent targets of online abuse from fans. While heckling has always been around, it rarely reached the players directly before social media. Now, with various platforms, it’s easier than ever for anonymous individuals to hurl insults at them.

Pundits have criticized Graham Gano in the past for missing field goals and extra points, but unlike some fans, they don’t go as far as wishing harm upon him. The Scotsman admitted that players frequently face extreme reactions, particularly since the NFL legalized sports betting.

Speaking with Jordan Raanan of ESPN following the tragic death of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, Gano said,

I hear everyone else’s frustration, media, fans. Shoot! Ever since sports betting started happening, I get people telling me to kill myself every week… I’ll miss a kick and it loses them money. It was the other day that someone told me to get cancer and die. I mean, that stuff is part of it…  I just want to play ball. Just constantly not being able to is tough. Doing everything I can to try to come back and play. That is my hope.

On Thursday, the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys announced the death of second-year defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. The 24-year-old, who graduated from the University of Western Michigan, reportedly took his own life after allegedly suffering from mental health issues following the death of his mother in 2024.

Is Graham Gano playing football?

Gano is going through a rough patch due to injuries. The Giants placed Gano on injured reserve after he suffered a groin injury in the Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He was activated ahead of the Week 8 fixture against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Giants Kicker's Heartbreaking Confession Exposes Sports Betting Toxicity Amid Marshawn Kneeland’s Mental Health Tragedy
Graham Gano (Image via IMAGO)

In the 2024-25 season, Gano appeared in 16 out of 25 possible games. In Week 2 of 2024, he suffered a hamstring injury while tackling a Commanders player, sidelining him for the next seven games. Back in 2023, a severe knee injury required surgery, keeping him out for the entire year. Nonetheless, his determination to keep playing for the Giants remains undeterred.

I’m proud to be a Giant. I wish there was something I could do to not be hurt. At the end of the day, I want people to know I care. I want to play. I want to be the best I can I want to make every kick. I wouldn’t be playing this long if I didn’t care about it.

Graham Gano said

Gano missed a field goal in the Giants’ latest defeat against the San Francisco 49ers. The G-Men now find themselves with a 2-7 record. Mathematically, they can still qualify for the playoffs, but the chances are very slim.

Week 10, the Giants face off against the Chicago Bears. The last meeting went the way of the Giants, led by Daniel Jones (now with the Colts). However, on this occasion, the Bears are 3-point favorites to secure a sixth win for themselves.

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