EXCLUSIVE: Falsely Accused Wayne Hills Football Captain Speaks Out

WAYNE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- He was arrested and charged in a gang assault after a Halloween party last year but all along, New Jersey football star Troy Zaffino maintained his innocence.

Now, the former Wayne Hills High School football captain is speaking out for the first time in an exclusive interview with 1010 WINS reporter Steve Sandberg.

Zaffino was arrested and charged along with eight other Wayne Hills football players with beating up two students from a rival school at a house party on Oct. 29, 2011.

1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg with Troy Zaffino

Zaffino said he wasn't even at the party.

"I was at this other girl's house while everything was going on, I didn't witness any of the fights," Zaffino said. "I just want people to know I'm not the type of kid to fight, if I was there I would probably break it up."

He kept trying to tell his story, others even came forward in his defense, but no one was listening.

"It was hell," Zaffino said. "I'm 17-years-old and they put me through a lot of stress and I just want people to know that I was innocent."

Despite passing a polygraph test, Zaffino was suspended from the state championship game and the once highly-recruited star saw college scholarships dry up.

"That got taken away from me for no reason," Zaffino said.

The charges against Zaffino were dropped earlier this month for lack of evidence but for him, the damage has already been done.

"It will always haunt me for the rest of my life," Zaffino said, adding that at the very least he'd like to get an apology.