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Matt Araiza, a former sixth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 NFL Draft, has been embroiled in controversy before his professional career even began.
The SDSU Aztecs star punter was named as one of the defendants in an alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old minor that was said to have occurred at a party on campus in October of 2021. But in light of additional witness testimonies, the charges against Araiza have been dropped.
Prosecutors have been provided evidence that Araiza was no longer at the party when the alleged rape occurred. He had supposedly left the party a full hour beforehand.
In light of the news, Araiza released a statement thanking the District Attorney's office for the work they put in, via ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg:
“I am aware that the facts of this case have been made public. I am deeply gratified for the thorough work of the DA's office in San Diego and for all the witnesses that were willing to come forward and tell the truth,” Matt Araiza said Tuesday night in a statement issued through his agent, Joe Linta. “I am thankful that the facts of this case as provided by the witnesses will prove that what I have been saying from the beginning is, in fact, the truth.”
Araiza has also filed a claim against his SDSU in order to recoup damages against his reputation.
No word yet on whether Matt Araiza will be able to move forward with an NFL career soon. He was released by the Bills on August 27 of last year, two days after the case was filed.
