Matt Araiza, 22, whose powerful and precision kicking in college earned him the moniker “Punt God,” was accused of having sex with the minor outside the home and then bringing her inside to a room where she was repeatedly raped. The lawsuit, filed in San Diego County Superior Court, alleges the then-high school senior went in and out of consciousness but remembers moments as the men took turns assaulting her.
Araiza’s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, said he hadn’t reviewed the complaint but called the rape accusation false. He said his investigator spoke to witnesses from the party who contradict the allegations against Araiza.
“It’s a shakedown because he’s now with the Buffalo Bills,” Armstrong said. “There is no doubt in my mind that Matt Araiza.
The other men named in the complaint are Zavier Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko. Leonard is listed on the university’s fall football roster as a redshirt freshman. Ewaliko was on the team last year as a freshman but is not on the current roster.
The lawsuit’s allegation comes on the heels of the NFL’s recent announcement that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will serve an 11-game suspension without pay after being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Watson must also pay a $5-million fine, and undergo evaluation by behavioral experts and follow their suggested treatment program.
“We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt from October 2021,” the Bills said in a statement to The Times on Thursday. “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.”
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