Chiefs star Matt Araiza speaks out on shot at Super Bowl glory after two years in exile over rape allegations

Matt Araiza was watching connected from location erstwhile the Kansas City Chiefs bushed the San Francisco 49ers successful past year’s Super Bowl.

He was moving arsenic an accountant successful San Diego astatine the clip and bureau banter among colleagues was arsenic adjacent arsenic helium got to the crippled successful Las Vegas. 

That’s due to the fact that Araiza, a punter, was successful the NFL wilderness. After a decorated assemblage career, helium was drafted by the Buffalo Bills successful 2022 but got released during grooming campy aft being accused of raping a 17-year-old miss astatine a enactment successful October 2021.

The territory attorney's bureau successful San Diego declined to property transgression charges against Araiza successful December 2022. Twelve months later, Araiza was dropped from the girl's lawsuit.

The 24-year-old missed 2 seasons portion the ineligible issues were worked out. 

Kansas City past saw an accidental and signed Araiza successful February 2024 pursuing a contention betwixt himself and different hopeful punter trying to triumph a declaration successful the NFL.

Araiza grabbed clasp of a 2nd accidental helium thought helium would ne'er get and hasn’t looked back. Now he’s astatine the Super Bowl aft an awesome debut play that has seen him spell from an bureau successful California to the Superdome successful New Orleans.

Speaking connected Wednesday astir his journey, Araiza said: ‘There was a clip wherever I didn’t deliberation I would play successful the NFL.

‘I would person been grateful to beryllium connected a squad that didn’t triumph a crippled astatine all. So to beryllium connected this squad that keeps winning games is simply a batch of fun.

‘They (the Chiefs) were truly welcoming. When you articulation a squad that’s coming disconnected winning a Super Bowl you person to interruption into the radical and beryllium yourself a small bit.

‘I felt similar the Chiefs truly was my past accidental and if this didn’t spell good I astir apt wouldn’t get different one.’

One of the men presiding implicit Araiza’s occurrence successful his constricted clip successful Kansas City has been adjunct peculiar teams manager Andy Hill.

He praised Araiza for slotting into the enactment seamlessly and explained however helium seized the accidental during a nerve-shredding contention with a rival punter.

Hill explained: ‘He’s been awesome. When we got him it was similar a rebirth oregon 2nd accidental for him. He came successful a small spot subdued, and we wanted to get that assurance backmost and beryllium the mode that helium was successful assemblage which helium did beauteous quickly.

‘We knew his endowment level coming retired of college. Tommy Townsend was moving connected for amended wealth and we knew that a left-footed punter successful the NFL is benignant of unsocial and the information that helium had this large occurrence successful college.

‘We had a contention with him and different feline from BYU and determination were much days wherever Matt was better. He roseate to the contention and started getting his assurance backmost arsenic the days went along.

‘Our team, our leaders, from Coach Reid down to the guys are truthful accepting of anyone. He came in, was quiescent astir it and acceptable close successful with his personality.

‘Really, fitting successful with our radical and the guys similar James Winchester and Harrison Butker was important excessively due to the fact that they walk a batch of clip together. It was truly casual and helium acceptable successful close away.’

Butker, the Chiefs kicker who made headlines past twelvemonth for a arguable graduation code helium gave weeks aft the Super Bowl, has watched Araiza’s advancement up close.

He added: ‘He’s done a large job. He’s precise mature for his age.

‘I cognize helium missed 2 seasons but he’s dialed successful to beryllium the champion punter helium tin beryllium and amusement everyone he’s truthful skilled. I’m precise blessed for him to beryllium successful this presumption and to person had a bully twelvemonth similar helium did, I’m precise arrogant of him.’

At San Diego State Araiza was known arsenic ‘Punt God’. He earned the nickname due to the fact that of his high, lengthy kicks. After 2 years successful the wilderness, his vocation is backmost connected an upward trajectory too.