Colts' Bobby Okereke Calls 2015 Sexual Assault Allegations 'Untrue'
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke defended himself against sexual assault accusations from 2015 on Saturday, calling the allegations “untrue.”
Speaking on the matter for the first time since the allegation broke in June, Okereke denied wrongdoing and maintained his innocence.
"Those were untrue allegations," Okereke said, per the Indianapolis Star's Joel A. Erickson. "I fully complied with the school investigation and was found not responsible. I informed the team about it during the pre-draft process."
Okereke spoke to Ballard at the 2019 combine and revealed he was the subject of a New York Times investigation regarding sexual assault on Stanford's campus in 2015. The complainant decided not to file formal charges with the police in order to avoid the trauma of a police investigation.
The case was turned over to the university's in-house disciplinary board, where the vote was 3-2 in favor of the complainant. Because the ruling did not cross the 4-1 threshold necessary to pursue further punitive action, Okereke was not disciplined.
Okereke stayed on Stanford's roster following the board's ruling and played four years with the Cardinal.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said in June that he was aware of a sexual assault claim against linebacker Bobby Okereke before drafting the Stanford product in the 2019 NFL draft.
"When we looked at it and talked about it and talking to the young man, an incident from four years ago, no discipline by the university [and] he was never charged with a crime," Ballard said in June. "And then you look at his track record from that point to now. Team captain. Lott Trophy quarterfinalist. He graduated with a degree in management and engineering. He's working on his master's. From 2015 to 2019, from everything we gathered and high recommendations that we got, it felt appropriate to take him."
Okereke is not expected to be investigated by the NFL.
