According to WTHR, Indianapolis Colts linebacker Josh McNary faces a formal rape charge. The 2nd-year linebacker has played in 15 games for the Colts this season, starting in 4 games and registering 28 tackles. McNary originally signed with the Colts in 2013, having previously served with the military and attended Army, where he played collegiate football.
The charges are for an incident that occurred on December 1, 2014. Reportedly, McNary met the accuser at a downtown bar in Indianapolis. Per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, the Colts organization was unaware of the incident, and the news came as a complete shock today:
While McNary hasn’t been convicted of anything yet, it’s still disturbing news to say the least. The Indianapolis Colts are a stand-up organization, and such allegations are troubling coming from one of their players. Such behavior cannot be tolerated here, much less anywhere else.
According to Mike Wells of ESPN via Twitter, the Indianapolis Colts have issued a formal statement:
"“We are aware that there has been a report about Josh McNary, but unfortunately that’s the limit of our knowledge. At this time we are very concerned and trying to find out what the relevant facts are, but we have insufficient information to venture any opinion. As we learn more we will make appropriate updates.”"
It may not bode well for McNary’s football future, who is a back-up player on this year’s defense. However, the bigger issue here is that a serious crime may have been committed to a victim, and it’s one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Until then, like the Colts, we’ll have to wait and see what information and updates come out of this unsettling news.