(Exclusive) Former Ohio State football player Amir Riep not guilty of raping a white woman talks about proving her innocence and still working for the NFL

In 2020, police charged former Ohio State University famous football player Amir Riep and his teammate Jahsen Wint with two counts of rape and one count of kidnapping after a woman The 19-year-old told authorities that the athletes raped her.

Accused of rape by a white woman, the head coach kicked two NFL hopefuls off the team a day after encountering the unidentified woman. Both were subsequently acquitted of all charges in February 2023.

After three years of waiting to prove their innocence, the old roommates are resuming their lives. Amir Riep, now 24, spoke exclusively to The Shade Room about his plans for the future and how his father’s support made a difference before he passed away.

How did Riep meet the unidentified woman?

Meeting the unknown woman on Snapchat, Riep and the young girl decide to meet at the apartment he shares with Wint, where things will eventually turn to sex.

Prosecutors say she was expected to hang out with Riep at the off-campus apartment but allegedly continued to have sex with the Cincinnati native after initial consent and Wint involved, which authorities failed to convince the jury to believe.

What a choice of @Riep_Amir! 😳 pic.twitter.com/eLSx7JgyG0

— Buckeye+ Videos (@BuckeyeVideos) November 30, 2019

After being driven home by Riep, the alleged sexual assault victim went to authorities to report a rape, which advocates adamantly did not happen.

Riep realizes he could go to jail

A week after the incident, the players were asked to turn themselves in and be kicked out of the team.

Ryan Day fired Amir Riep and Jahsen Wint from the Ohio State football team pic.twitter.com/8HX7pa0AyH

– Buckeye County (@TheBuckeyeNut) February 12, 2020

I know it’s getting serious when they [player personnel] told us we had to call our parents and we had to turn ourselves in.

Rip On Not Want A Plea Deal

That was never a question. I told my lawyer not to deal with me. I don’t sign anything. We will pass all the way to the test.

Continuing to speak, Rep shared about his faith. It’s an area where I have to grow, he said.

Without that, it would have done more damage to me. Be patient, trust the process and trust him [God] will find his way and his way is better than anything we can imagine.

Support from family and friends

Having spent three days in prison before being released on bail, Riep said his most prominent supporters and sole support were his now deceased father and his family.

My biggest supporter is my dad. I have to tell him first. He supported me all the way, and my family supported me. If anything, we’ve come closer together to tackle this problem together.

Does Riep feel the race has any role to play?

According to the Ohio State University website, there are nearly 62,000 students on campus, of which less than 5,000 are Black.

As for whether he feels race plays a role, Riep said:

Sadly, Yes. But sure, that image and title that people try to give a football player to Ohio State. They think we feel we can do anything and ignore it. If we weren’t two Ohio State football players on their way to great things, it wouldn’t have gotten as much attention or [as] as far as ours did.

Preparing for the NFL & What’s Next

Leaving the past behind, the NFL hopeful still has his eye on the prize.

“That’s the main goal,” he said, referring to the NFL. He explained that he was an athlete who wanted to continue his academic and athletic career in another school and signed up for the transfer portal to transfer schools.

I was there [transfer portal]and the coaches have been waiting for this situation to be implemented. [I’ve] hangs all this time, can’t do anything, register anywhere or anything. The only thing I can do [was] always ready for this time. He also stated,

We are in contact with several schools right now. Go back to work, get a degree, continue a football career in the collective and end up in the NFL. Riep continued, I’m going to enroll somewhere in the summer. We have summer training and all that, so I’ll be at school before that.

People’s perception since being charged and presumed not guilty

I have to prove my innocence. I held my head high because I knew the truth. So I don’t let that affect me, especially when I know the truth.

Friendship With Jahsen Wint

Though unable to speak to Wint for three years, Riep says they now talk and laugh every day, reveling in having moments of friendship again.

BREAK:
Former Ohio State football players Amir Riep and Jahsen Wint were not found guilty of rape and kidnapping against them.

Both were robbed of potential NFL careers. pic.twitter.com/GjuMFJ1MEo

– NFL Announcements (@NFLNotify) February 14, 2023

Describe that period of his life in one word

roller coaster. That incline in the beginning, right before you get to that top, you think you’re going to get everything you want, the roller coaster goes down, to the left, to the right, and it goes in all directions.