Less than five years after he began serving a prison sentence for rape, former San Francisco 49ers star Dana Stubblefield was released Tuesday, as the Associated Press reported.
Stubblefield, 54, had his 2020 rape conviction vacated, or set aside, by a California appeals court last December, per the AP, after the court found that “prosecutors had made racially discriminatory statements during his trial.” The former Defensive Player of the Year initially remained in prison, however, because Stubblefield’s Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge said he couldn’t grant bail or release.
“Finally, an innocent man is no longer sitting in a cage away from his family,” attorney Kenneth Rosenfeld said of Stubblefield in a statement, via the AP.
A first-round draft pick of the 49ers in 1993, Stubblefield was initially convicted of raping a woman in 2015, more than a decade after he finished his playing career. Prosecutors argued at the time that he lured the woman to his home under the guise of a potential babysitting opportunity, but Stubblefield alleged his interactions with the woman were consensual, in exchange for money.
Outside his legal encounters, Stubblefield is one of the most accomplished defensive lineman of his time. A three-time All-Pro who also won Defensive Rookie of the Year out of Kansas, he drew MVP consideration during his 1997 peak with the 49ers, when he had a career-high 15 sacks. Stubblefield also played for Washington (1998-2000) before returning to San Francisco, then finishing with the Oakland Raiders (2003).
