Australian NFL star Adam Gotsis will fight for his innocence against "shocking accusations" he raped a woman five years ago while he was a student-athlete at US college Georgia Tech.
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Melbourne-born Gotsis, 25, a defensive end for the Denver Broncos, turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta last week on a charge of strong-arm rape.
He was released on $US50,000 bond.
Gotsis, who stands 191cm tall and weighs 139kg, is accused of overcoming the will of a 25-year-old woman he met at a party on March 9, 2013, in Atlanta, while he was a member of Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets football team.
"Although the incident in question allegedly occurred more than five years ago, Adam first learned of these shocking accusations last month," Gotsis' lawyer Sara Becker said in the statement to the Denver Post.
"We immediately reached out to law enforcement and have proactively cooperated with all aspects of the investigation while maintaining communication with the team.
"While we were disappointed to learn of the turn the investigation was taking, we steadfastly maintain that the allegations are false.
"We will continue to advocate strongly for Adam's innocence."
An Atlanta Police Department spokesperson told AAP on Monday the woman reported the incident last month.
"She advised she met the suspect, Mr Adam Gotsis, through a mutual friend and attended a party with him on March 9, 2013," the APD spokesperson said.
"She stated that after the party, Mr Gotsis took her to his home where he raped her."
Gotsis grew up playing Aussie rules in Melbourne until around age 13 when he tried American football with the Monash Warriors.
He spent four years with Georgia Tech and in 2016 was selected by the then Super Bowl champion Broncos in the second round of the NFL Draft.
The Broncos said they took the accusation against Gotsis "very seriously".
"We were recently informed of an investigation into an alleged incident involving Adam Gotsis that occurred in 2013 when he was in college," the Broncos said in a statement.
"Our organisation was aware of his arrest on March 7, and it is our understanding that no determination has been made at this time as to whether any charges will be filed.
"The Broncos take an accusation of this nature very seriously and will continue to closely monitor the legal proceedings.
"This issue was promptly reported to the NFL as soon as we learned of it, and we will remain in communication with the league office regarding this matter."
Georgia Tech officials said they "learned of the arrest today" and had no additional information at this time.
Australian Associated Press
