The Kansas City Chiefs won the latest edition of the Super Bowl LVIII by beating the San Francisco 49ers, as the team led by Patrick Mahomes has become a dynasty in the history of the NFL. With that, it is also a team that gave punter Matt Araiza a second chance.
The one born in San Diego, California, but of Mexican descent, only 23 years old, was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 Draft, although he did not participate in the NFL as he was released months later, after a complaint of alleged rape against a 17-year-old woman was filed against him.
Buffalo Bills management reacts after release of Matt Araiza
The young woman ruled out Araiza in the lawsuit filed in August 2022, while the player had to withdraw a lawsuit filed against her for defamation in July 2023 and now he can focus on his playing career. However, all these obstacles have been something of a learning experience for him.
“It took the first series for me to settle down, then I was able to focus on the task at hand,” he told Sportskeeda recently, as he had a hard time forgetting everything he went through to actually being able to focus on football. “I’m not a big fan of or comfortable having to do end-over-end kicks, which is something I’ll have to get used to,” he added, considering that he was a place kicker as well at San Diego State.
Beating depression to reach his goal
It was not easy and he shared what he had to do to stay strong and be a part of an NFL team, little did he know it was going to be the defending Super Bowl champions. “Yes, I did (struggle), it was a little depressing at times,” he said.
“Throughout the 2023 season I wondered where my future would take me. I considered becoming an accountant if I was not able to sign with an NFL team.” It was a good thing that he didn’t and he even thought about signing with an XFL team.
The Bills did not reach out even after rumors that they would, and then he got the call. “I spoke with Brett Veatch a bit before signing with the team, I didn’t work out for the Chiefs or meet with coach (Andy) Reid,” he explained. “Everyone was great to me, I could not have asked for anything better.”
His standout performances in college are something to build on to try become a great punter at the professional level, and of course that being in a winning team could help a lot as his process has become easier for him in Kansas City.
