Former NFL punter Matt Araiza has been cleared of all allegations of sexual assault after a civil suit against him was dropped. Araiza had been drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round but was cut from the team following the allegations. Despite never being criminally charged, the accusations led to the end of his NFL career.
The woman who initially accused Araiza of sexual assault has agreed to dismiss her civil lawsuit against him. Authorities in San Diego, where the alleged incident occurred, declined to prosecute Araiza and determined that he was not present at the party when the alleged gang rape occurred.
In a statement, Araiza’s lawyer, Dick Semerdjian, expressed relief that his client had been cleared of all allegations and maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal. He also mentioned that Araiza would be resuming his pursuit of an NFL career now that the case has been resolved.
Araiza’s lawyer highlighted the impact the false accusations had on his client, stating, “Matt has been forced to defend himself for the last 16 months against false accusations and a campaign to ruin his career in the NFL. He will never get this time in his life back.”
Araiza, known as “The Punt God” during his college career, had hoped to continue his success in the NFL before the allegations surfaced. The New York Jets brought him in for a workout, but he has not been signed by any team due to the pending civil suit.
Now that the case has been resolved, Araiza’s legal team is confident that he will be able to return to the NFL and resume his successful punting career. “Thankfully, there was extensive evidence that was key to securing Matt’s voluntary dismissal from this lawsuit,” stated Semerdjian. “Matt was and has always been innocent, and the case is over. Matt has prevailed.”