After learning of a possible 2016 sexual assault incident involving Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Jameis Winston, the NFL is investigating the issue, BuzzFeed News reports.

Kate, a female Uber driver, was hailed to a party in Scottsdale, Ariz., to pick up a passenger around 2 a.m. Sunday, March 13, 2016. The driver told BuzzFeed News that a group of men told her she would be driving around a celebrity for the night. The group placed Winston, a 2013 Heisman Trophy recipient, into the front passenger seat. According to Kate, Winston was the only passenger for the ride, and right after she started driving "Jameis behaved poorly" by shouting homophobic slurs to pedestrians.

Kate, who didn't want to release her last name out of fear of receiving backlash from football fans, said Winston then asked if they could stop for food. While waiting in the drive-thru line at Los Betos Mexican Food, Kate said, "he reached over and he just grabbed my crotch" for about three to five seconds before she reacted in shock.

“I wasn't just creeped out, I was frozen,” she told BuzzFeed News. "I mean he's an NFL quarterback and I’m 5 ft 6. I’m not prepared for that. So I completely froze." She said she then looked up at Winston and said "What's up with that?" before he removed his hand.

The driver filed a complaint with Uber not long after the incident. In the complaint she wrote, "apparently a big athlete in the nfl” reached over “and put his fingers on my crotch.” She ended that report by stating "He is NOT safe for other drivers."

After receiving the report, an Uber representative responded stating "That kind of rider behavior is absolutely not tolerated on the platform, I recommend contacting law enforcement as soon as possible." Kate said she didn't go to police following incident for the same reason she didn't want to reveal her last name. The Uber representative also stated that Kate would not be matched with the user again in the future, and the user's Uber account was canceled soon after she reported the incident.

BuzzFeed viewed a letter sent to the victim from the NFL's special counsel Lisa Friel that stated "The League has been informed that you may have been the victim of such a violation perpetrated by Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Jameis Winston. The league takes allegations of this nature very seriously and has opened an investigation into this matter."

NFL Spokesman Brian McCarthy told the news outlet that the matter is currently under review after the allegations were shared with the NFL. McCarthy says they've reached out to Uber to request any additional information regarding the incident.

Since the victim made the accusation, Winston's representative Russ Spielman released a statement denying all allegations: "We categorically deny this allegation. It is our understanding the Uber driver was unable to identify the specific individual who allegedly touched this driver inappropriately. The only reason his name is being dragged in to this is that his Uber account was used to call the ride." Spielman, however, had no comment on the NFL's letter to the victim that was sent on Thursday, Nov. 16.

On Nov. 17, Winston also tweeted his full statement where he says he has been falsely accused and the driver is mistaken on how many passengers were in the car and who sat in the front seat next to her.

Jameis WinstonNflSexual assaultUber