Waco police arrested former Baylor University football player Shawn Oakman on Wednesday. He was charged with sexually assaulting a fellow student after leaving a Waco nightclub with her last week.
According to the Waco Tribune, he was waiting to be booked into the jail Wednesday afternoon and no bond information was available.
Waco police searched his apartment on April 3rd looking for evidence to support the woman’s claims that Oakman sexually assaulted her between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. that same day.
Oakman, an NFL draft prospect, told Waco police detectives the sexual contact was consensual. Oakman graduated from Baylor in December and is the team’s all-time sack leader.
Pete’s take: It’s absolutely terrible timing for Baylor. This news comes on the heels of the ESPN Outside the Lines report that Baylor waited two years to begin investigating a sexual assault claim against two former football players. Sure, there will be those who say this is a woman trying to screw over a famous and popular athlete who has an NFL future.
But, in Oakman’s case, he does not receive the benefit of the doubt. Shawn Oakman was already kicked off the Penn State football team for supposedly stealing and abusing a local store clerk. Then, he was suspended for the SMU game last year for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
As for Shawn Oakman’s NFL draft stock, it must be tanking. He had a disappointing 2015 season with just 4 1/2 sacks after racking up 14 1/2 in 2014. His motor and technique has always been questioned. Now, teams will think twice and will likely talk to his former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien for more details. Then again, his focus should be on his legal issues right now, not the NFL draft.
As for Art Briles, his program doesn’t look good here. Briles and his program is starting to get the vibe of a “win at all costs” attitude. That’s not exactly in line with what Briles has sold during Baylor’s ascension up the college football ranks and their Baptist philosophy.
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