Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza is one of multiple men named in a civil lawsuit on Thursday that accuses him of raping a 17-year-old girl last year while he attended San Diego State, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The lawsuit also names two other men who were members of the school’s football team at the time. The Times reported on the alleged incident in July 2021 but did not name Ariza in that report.
Araiza, nicknamed “Punt God,” was selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Via the L.A. Times, Araiza’s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, said: “It’s a shakedown because he’s now with the Buffalo Bills. There is no doubt in my mind that Matt Araiza ever raped that girl.”
The Bills have released a statement regarding the alleged accusations against the 22-year-old. That can be found below via WKBW-TV in Buffalo:
Statement from Bills:
We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt from October 2021. Due to the serious nature of the complaint, we conducted a thorough examination of this matter. As this is an ongoing civil case, we will have no other comment at this point
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) August 25, 2022
Over the weekend, the Bills named Araiza their starting punter and released incumbent Matt Haack, who went on to sign with the Indianapolis Colts.
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