Darren Waller ain't scared of relapsing when he has to move to Las Vegas after the Raiders bolt from Oakland ... in fact, he tells TMZ Sports he's gunning to be a sobriety symbol in Sin City.
The tight end's battle with substance abuse is well known ... the 27-year-old nearly lost his NFL career before it really even began because of issues with opiates and cocaine.
Darren Waller story is crazy pic.twitter.com/1t4p5xnVjk
— No Context NFL (@NoContxtNFL) August 21, 2019
But, Waller's been on the straight and narrow for over two years now ... and he tells us he ain't concerned one bit about how a permanent move to Vegas might change that.
In fact, Waller says once he gets to LV with his Raiders squad ... he immediately wants to help others find sobriety like he did back in 2017.
"Maybe I can step into a community that really is rough to be in for people who may not think they can be sober in that environment," Waller tells us.
"And, really try to be an example or just be someone that people could lean on. And, just build a community there where people feel safe."
It's an awesome gesture from Waller ... and he's the perfect guy for the role -- 'cause this year has been the best of his life.
Waller is having a breakout season ... logging 48 catches for 548 yards and 3 TDs -- and was rewarded with a fat, 4-year, $29.8 MILLION contract just a few weeks ago.