Before Shawn Oakman even had a chance at making it to the NFL, he had been turned into a meme. Oakman, who stands at 6'9" was a stud defensive end for Baylor University in 2014 and had many believing he would be a future first-round pick in the pros. The meme status came after an image of Oakman standing with his unique helmet and jersey lifted over his abs made its way to the internet. Since inheriting his status as an incredible defensive player, Oakman's fortunes began to decrease as he struggled in the 2015 season. Before Oakman was set to be drafted in 2016, he was accused of sexual assault and was left undrafted.
Oakman's sexual assault case finally went to trial recently and the young football star was acquitted on all charges. Now that Oakman has a clean slate and a clean name, he is looking to play the sport he loves again and even make a go at the NFL.
“I think God will set the right path for me but I don’t feel like I have to beg for anything, it’s not a begging matter. I don’t want anybody to hand me anything. I want to earn it and everything I get. I want to play football at the highest level and just really finally get my chance,” Oakman told KWTX.
In 2014, Oakman was named as an All-Big 12 defensive end and finished the season with 11 sacks.