ALAMEDA — From a national perspective and a safe distance, Gareon Conley’s recent storyline is a familiar one.
He’s just another entitled athlete gone astray.
That’s not the case in Massillon, Ohio, where news of a rape allegation against one of the most popular student-athletes in a city famous for high school football was greeted with shock and then skepticism.
This wasn’t just anybody. It was Gareon Conley, the shy, humble star from Washington High who turned heads for his considerable skill on the field and the way he conducted himself off it.
Two weeks ago, Conley took a break from draft preparation to appear at a weight-lifting event at Washington to talk with current players and sign autographs.