A former University of Minnesota football player has received a 90-day jail term for sexually assaulting a fellow student in his Minneapolis apartment one night after a game two years ago.
Bryce Michael Williams, 26, was sentenced Monday in Hennepin County District Court after jurors convicted him in June of felony fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the assault on Nov. 26, 2023. The jury acquitted Williams of two third-degree criminal sexual conduct counts.
Williams, a running back from Sarasota, Fla., who played for the Gophers from 2018 until 2023, was also ordered by Judge Shereen Askalani to serve two years’ probation. Williams starts his jail time on Dec. 8.
County Attorney Mary Moriarty, in a statement issued Wednesday, said, “While our office worked hard for a different result, we respect the jury’s decision. The conviction and sentence hold Mr. Williams accountable for his actions, and our thoughts are with the victim as the case concludes.”
Defense attorney Robert Paule told the Minnesota Star Tribune that he and is client “are disappointed that we didn’t receive a full acquittal. Clearly, the alleged victim was not credible.”
Paule said that Williams, who has since moved back to Florida, plans on appealing the guilty verdict.
According to the criminal complaint:
The woman said she and Williams first connected on a dating website and continued communicating on Snapchat.
