The Broncos made a roster move that gives a college star once indicted on a violent felony charge the chance to make an NFL roster.
A.J. Johnson — a 6-foot-2, 245-pound former Tennessee linebacker and three-time All-SEC selection — is the newest member of Denver’s training camp after the team elected to release linebacker Stansly Maponga on Monday.
Johnson, 26, last played football in 2014 as a Tennessee senior. He was suspended the final three games of the season following allegations that Johnson and a teammate, Michael Williams, had sexually assaulted a woman on campus. The pair was indicted on aggravated rape charges in February 2015, entered not-guilty pleas, and nearly 3-1/2 years later, Johnson and Williams were acquitted on all counts in a jury trial.