Marcellus Wiley Tackles Sexual Assault Allegations Head-On Following Claims By Ex-Columbia Classmate

Ex-NFL defensive end Marcellus Wiley addressed the allegations levied against him, which accuse the former player of having raped a woman multiple times in 1994 during Wiley's tenure at Columbia of the Ivy League.

Streaming his response on Wednesday via his personal channel on YouTube, Wiley spoke against the damning allegation found in a New York Post report published Tuesday evening.

Marcellus Wiley Calls Allegations Pure Defamation

The woman alleged that Wiley, who played as a running back for the Columbia Lions, joined her at her dorm during the fall of 1994 and sexually assaulted her. She added that the school put Wiley on academic probation in 1995 and seemingly defended him as the "star athlete" at the school.

Wiley shared that a prominent media figure and Columbia alum texted him Wednesday morning to open his defense, saying the allegations were "the increased price of fame."

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In his rebuttal, Marcellus Wiley said that no legal documents or formal accusations have been made against him and that the woman is actively defaming the athlete-turned-media figure. He shared that the woman launched a campaign to defame him during and shortly after his time at the university after the two shared a romantic evening and hook-ups to follow.

Wiley shared that the summer he studied remotely in '95 became more of a fiscal decision, entering an uncertain path to professional football as an 'underperforming' running back at a program like Columbia.

In the allegations, the woman claimed that Columbia awarded Wiley with several alum awards but negated him 'multiple' awards due to the allegations of sexual assault.

Wiley Breaks Down 'Inconsistencies' In Accuser's Claims

Marcellus clarified that the woman made her accusations out of guilt for spending time with the ex-footballer during her concurrent relationship with another man. He added that losing one alum award was ultimately his decision as the woman pressured Columbia to strip him of his nomination, not wanting to put up with the trouble.

The 48-year-old also addressed Columbia's alleged nepotism for him as the woman allegedly sought to hold him accountable, only for the school to 'protect their star athlete.'

Wiley laughed off the claim, reminding his viewers that rushing for 800 yards in an Ivy League program could not warrant 'star' status in college football.

As noted in his response, Wiley shared that he expects a process to build out from the claims and presses on with what he believes is the only true account.

The allegations arrive in a year of tumultuous news regarding sexual assault allegations made against players that later proved to be false. MLB's Trevor Bauer settled with accuser Lindsay Hill in October, with no rewards sought by Hill. Then there's former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza, whose innocence against gang rape accusations came to light in May.

Wiley enjoyed a 10-season career in the NFL (1997-2006). He then joined the class of athletes who successfully transitioned into commentator roles, spanning radio and television.

The defensive end was drafted by the Buffalo Bills. He built a following as a San Diego Charger, then moved on to the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars. Wiley logged 320 combined tackles and 44 sacks in his career.

(Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com)