Shawn Oakman Reacts To Innocent Verdict: 'They Slandered My Name'

Former Baylor University football player who was once projected to be a second or third round NFL Draft pick, Shawn Oakman, was found not guilty of sexual assault Thursday.

People who showed up in support of the 26-year-old player broke out in cheers when the announcement of the verdict was made. Oakman himself walked out with a big smile on his face. However, when stepped up to talk to local news reporters outside the courtroom in Texas, Oakman broke down in tears.

“It was about everybody else that was around me, you know. They slandered my name. They fired my coach. And I felt like all that was on me,” Oakman told NBC-affiliated KCEN TV emotionally, adding that football was still the biggest priority of his life and he wanted to get back and play for the National Football League (NFL) now that he was cleared of the charges.

He would have faced up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

Oakman was arrested for sexually assaulting an unidentified woman in April 2016, which lead to his suspension and caused him to go undrafted the following year. At that time, Oakman signed a contract with the Bismarck Bucks of the Champions Indoor Football League, ESPN reported.

The accuser claimed she was intoxicated when Oakman brought her back to his place after meeting her at a bar. He then allegedly tore her clothes off, pushed her to the bed and raped her. She added that when she tried to leave the duplex, he did not let her.

While the woman in question claimed she had never dated Oakman, his lawyers argued during the trial that the player was in a sexual relationship long before the alleged incident and he engaged in consensual sex with the accuser on the day.

Oakman’s arrest came the same year Baylor University faced public scrutiny over its response to sexual assault allegations against students and athletes. After law firm Pepper Hamilton's report of the school's handling of sexual assault and domestic violence accusations was reviewed by Baylor regents, they fired head coach Art Briles, suspended athletic director Ian McCaw and demoted president Kenneth Starr. Later, McCaw and Starr left Baylor.

Tre'Von Armstead and Myke Chatman - two other former Baylor football players, were charged with sexual assault in 2017 and were awaiting trial. Former Baylor defensive end Sam Ukwuachu was convicted of sexual assault in 2015 and was awaiting a final decision on his appeal.

Oakman was arrested in 2012 on charges of disorderly conduct, harassment and retail theft following an incident where he allegedly tried to steal a sandwich from a convenience store. He was accused of aggressively grabbing the wrist of a female store clerk. As a result of his arrest, he was dismissed from Penn State football program.