Eyioma Uwazurike allegedly bet on five Denver Broncos games and two Iowa State games while he was part of those teams.
A formal complaint filed in Story County, Iowa, on Tuesday includes other former Cyclones teammates.
Uwazurike, 25, faces a charge of tampering with records stemming from the alleged wagers, as does returning starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers. An attorney for Dekkers said he would not play or practice while defending himself from charges, which also include tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday the revelations weren’t news to the Broncos.
“It’s a legal matter. We’ve been up to speed all along. We’ll just leave it at that,” Payton said. “There’ve been no surprises, nothing that’s new to us. We’ve cooperated, and we’ll continue to cooperate in every step that’s required.”
Uwazurike was suspended indefinitely last week by the NFL for betting on games. He was picked in the fourth round (116th overall) in the 2022 draft.
Iowa prosecutors asserted Uwazurike placed 801 bets online for more than $21,300, with four wagers on Iowa State football games. He also made bets on at least one NFL game in which he played as a rookie in 2022 — Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Uwazurike and Dekkers, along with two other Iowa State athletes named in the complaint, are all scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 16.
–Field Level Media
