Buffalo Bills Punter Matt Araiza, Two Others Accused of Gang Raping Minor
Buffalo Bills' Matt Araiza along with two other San Diego State football players have been named in a lawsuit claiming involvement in a gang rape.
Araiza was considered among the more coveted special team players in this year's NFL Draft. The former Aztec averaged 51.2 yards per punt for his career. While capable of playing both punter and kicker positions, Araiza was expected to serve as a punter in for the Bills. He broke the NCAA record for longest average punt.
The other men named in the complaint are Zavier Leonard, a redshirt freshman with the Aztecs, and Nowlin Ewaliko, who was a freshman last season but is no longer on the listed roster.
The victim in the civil suit was a 17-year-old at the time of the alleged incident. The suit claims that during the early hours of Oct. 17, 2021 the victim was brought into a room by Araiza and at least three other men, including Leonard and Ewaliko, and that she was repeatedly raped for about an hour and a half until the party was shut down.
In a statement Thursday, the Bills said they "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."
The NFL declined to comment while acknowledging they were made aware of the suit. Because the alleged rape happened before Araiza was drafted, he would not be subject to the league's personal conduct policy.
The Bills were still listed as favorites to win the 2023 Super Bowl at 6-1.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
