Matt Araiza, the former Buffalo punter, thanked prosecutors late Tuesday and added that all those who judged him will now believe he had nothing to do with a young woman’s rape.
Back in December, prosecutors in San Diego announced they no longer were pursuing charges against him. And thanks to some recent reporting, we know why. Evidence shows that Matt Araiza left an off-campus party an hour before a 17-year-old woman told police she was gang raped. The young woman initially identified Araiza as part of the gang rape. She said he was the man who led her into the bedroom for his teammates to have sex with her.
“I am aware that the facts of this case have been made public,” Matt Araiza said in a statement to reporters. “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. (And) 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.
“I can only hope that now people will assess me on the facts and not what was falsely claimed in both the civil suit and in the press.”
Matt Araiza shouldn’t be punished because of NFL conduct policy
Matt Araiza continued: “I am beyond thankful for the unwavering support of both my family and friends. They have been a rock in what has been a very dark eight months for me. However, now that the truth is out, I am amazed by the thousands of emails and tweets supporting me. It has truly been a blessing to know so many people have now judged me by the facts.”
Now, will the Buffalo Bills re-sign their one-time draft choice, the player nicknamed “Punt God.” He had earned the starting job in training camp last August. Then the Bills cut him when details of the alleged gang rape became public. Brandon Beane, the Buffalo general manager, said after the team waived Araiza: “At this time, we think it’s the best move for everyone to move on from Matt and let him take care of this situation and focus on that.”
Matt Araiza shouldn’t face punishment as part of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. He is a free agent and could sign with any team. That means the Bills also could reach out and bring him back. Buffalo selected him with a sixth-round pick in April, 2022. And there was good reason to select this punter. Araiza won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter. He led the NCAA punting average at 51.19 yards per kick. That broke the NCAA record previously set by Texas A&M’s Braden Mann, who averaged 50.98 in 2018.
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