Lawrence Okoye, a defensive tackle for the Alliance of American Football's Birmingham Iron, was one of 13 arrested on soliciting prostitution charges just days before the league's first game.
According to AL.com, Okoye, 27, and 12 others were arrested in an operation by the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force, the team’s third phase of the ongoing probe since September.
Okoye, who hails from Croydon, England, is a former rugby player and track star. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, but suffered a preseason injury, and he has also had practice squad stints with the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.
Okoye was reportedly arrested Wednesday, and released from the Shelby County Jail Thursday after posting $1,000 bond.
The AAF will kickoff its first season this Saturday, February 8 and will end in April, just before the start of NFL training camp. The season will run for 10 weeks, consisting of eight 50-man teams including the Birmingham Iron, Atlanta Legends, Salt Lake Stallions and San Antonio Commanders.
There will be no kickoffs or extra points and teams will start on the 25-yard line after scores and at the start of each half. Because there are no kickoffs, that means no onside kicks. The solution: The team that scored a touchdown can get the ball on its own 35 yard line in a 4th-and-10 situation. If the team converts they can keep going.