Nate Allen explains why he was detained, wants to clear his name

Nate Allen was released by the Fort Myers Police Department on Monday night after being arrested under the suspicion of indecent exposure. The Eagles safety, who is scheduled to be a free agent as of March 10, spoke with reporters to explain exactly what happened and how disappointed he is with the whole ordeal.

From Les Bowen of the Daily News:

"The detective told him that a woman or women -- Allen isn't sure which -- had accused him of "masturbating while making faces at them" from the cab of his custom-wheeled Ford F-250 pickup at a busy intersection on Cleveland Ave., a major Fort Myers roadway.

"Forget football," said Allen, who is set to become a free agent next month and undoubtedly will have to explain the incident to any team that might want to sign him. "Being associated with something this disgusting is repulsive. I have a 17-year-old sister, a niece ... Anybody would want to destroy someone" who would do such a thing, he said.

Allen said before he was released, he was told the woman or women had initially described the offender as being 45-to-50-years old, with curly hair. Allen is 27 and keeps his hair cut close to the skull. He also said he was wearing a hat while driving home.

From David Dorsey of The News-Press:

"The whole time I was sitting there in this holding cell, I'm thinking, 'Football isn't even worth all this.' I don't even like considering myself a celebrity. I hate how people idolize us. Because this is the type of stuff that comes with being idolized.

"This is the stuff that comes from it."

"It's scary to think that this could happen just off a single phone call," Allen said. "If these girls had adults with them, I wish I could talk to them. Look what you are creating. What are you trying to do?

"But I forgive them. That's what I want these women to hear more than anything."

...

As these reports note, the Fort Myers Police Department's investigation still remains active. Allen is no longer in custody and hasn't been charged with a crime. Allen seems to be glad that the investigation remains active because he wants his name to be cleared.

"Good," Allen said of the ongoing investigation. "I hope so. Please. I said, 'Can you look at some cameras. Can you find something that shows that I didn't do this?'"