"Why wouldn't you believe me?" - Former OSU players Amir Riep, Jahsen Wint break silence on sexual allegation case

Former Ohio State defensive backs Amir Riep and Jahsen Wint were acquitted of rape and kidnapping three years after charges were filed against them. The case stemmed from a woman with whom they’d had a sexual encounter in an apartment the two players shared.

While the not-guilty verdict removed a big thorn from their backs, the time lost in the process has greatly hurt their promising football careers. Riep and Wint were taken off the team in February 2020 following their arrests.

Both athletes would have played out their senior season if not for this unfortunate development. Now that the case is behind them, both players have shared their side of the story.

They expressed their sentiments to former NFL players Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor, and Ryan Clark on The Pivot podcast. Wint, a safety from Brooklyn, New York, said:

"A lot of emotion that goes with it. You angry, sad. A lot of depression, you know, just a whole bunch of emotions, you know, you don't know what to do in that scenario. It's like, all you could do is just, you know, cover up and just get out of people's way."

He continued:

"And then even when I'm trying to, like, get my mind off of things, I don't want my situation affecting nobody else's... So it made me not want to be around nobody because I feel like I was messing up people's lives even more."

Riep, a cornerback from Cincinnati, Ohio, alluded to his former teammate's sentiments by adding:

"Very frustrating. It's like, you know the answer to the test and tell everybody it this, this this and they go put the wrong answer down. But it takes three years for them to find out the right one. So you've been sitting there the whole time, I just told you the truth... That's the only thing I can think of is frustration."

He further noted:

"Really just like, why wouldn't you believe me? Like why? Why are we guilty? And we have to prove our innocence. You know, I mean, it's supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but we had the fight, through that."

A long but triumphant process for Jahsen Wint and Amir Riep

Emotions erupted after the verdict was handed down as Riep and Wint shared a hug after learning that their battle was over.

Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor Daniel Meyer accused Wint and Riep of taking advantage of the woman by raping her. However, defense attorneys Dan Sabol and Sam Shamansky proved it was a consensual act. Testimonies from Riep and Lloyd McFarquhar strengthened their claims.

If proven guilty, Riep and Wint could have been imprisoned for up to 30 years and would have had to register as sex offenders.

Wint had nine tackles and a sack in his final year at Ohio State. Meanwhile, Riep finished with 20 tackles, two interceptions, and two passes defended in 2019.

Wint entered the transfer portal in 2022 and has two years of college football eligibility left. All college athletes were given an extra year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Riep entered the transfer portal in 2021.