How Matt Araiza, former NFL punter, is trying to clear name after rape accusation

  SAN DIEGO – In an effort to clear his name and get a job, former NFL punter Matt Araiza has sent NFL teams a piece of evidence that reveals several startling facts about what happened the night he was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in San Diego.

It’s an audio recording of a meeting Dec. 7, when a San Diego County prosecutor met with the woman and her attorney. It’s 101 minutes long and was not released to the public.

But USA TODAY Sports obtained it recently, then interviewed Araiza and the woman separately to break it down in detail. In the recording, the prosecutor gives a point-by-point explanation of why her office never charged Araiza and others with any crimes after they were accused of brutally gang-raping the woman at a house party near San Diego State in October 2021.

://http://Araiza’s agent, Joe Linta, said he has sent the recording to about 20 NFL teams in hopes of getting Araiza’s career back on track after the Buffalo Bills released him amid the controversy last AugustThe question is what they will make of it – and if they will be willing to give him another chancAt a minimum, it paints a different picture of what happened compared to the shocking allegations that came out against Araiza and two other former San Diego State football players last year in a pending civil lawsuit filed by the woman’s attorney.  The recording references nine brief video clips of the woman’s sexual encounters that night, none of which showed Araiza, who has denied wrongdoing and says the recording is “huge.” His attorney said he declined an offer from the woman’s attorney to settle the case for $50,000.“I know the teams know the true facts,” Araiza told USA TODAY Sports. “They’ve heard the audio. They know this isn’t true. It’s that we need the public to understand as well. Because I think teams have a fear that if they sign me, there will be a little bit of backlash because the public has been told things that aren’t