Ex-NFL Player Darren Sharper Pleads Not Guilty in Rape, Drug Charges

The former Safety for the New Orleans Saints is accused of raping seven women in five states

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Gerald Herbert / AP

In this June 1, 2011, file photo, New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper speaks during a news conference in Metairie, La.

A former NFL star accused of drugging and raping two women pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles court Thursday.

Darren Sharper, 38, is charged with two counts of rape by drugging and five other drug-related offenses, CNN reports. The five-time Pro Bowl player and former safety for the New Orleans Saints allegedly met the women at a Los Angeles nightclub.

Judge Renee Korn told Sharper he must stay away from nightclubs and bars. She also raised the ex-NFL player’s bail from $200,000 to $1 million and said he could not leave Los Angeles county. Sharper is also being investigated in Arizona, Louisiana and Nevada over allegations he raped five other women.

Blair Berk, one of Sharper’s lawyers, said she believes the ex-NFL player will “be fully exonerated.”

[CNN]