Jury Finds Ex-Wayne Hills QB Kevin Olsen Not Guilty Of Rape

WAYNE, NJ — Kevin Olsen, the former star quarterback at Wayne Hills High School, was found not guilty of rape by a North Carolina jury Wednesday afternoon.

The Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Special Victims Unit tried Olsen, 23, for three counts of second-degree rape and second-degree sexual offense.

The Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office accepted the verdict issued by the jury.

Olsen turned in his chair and stared triumphantly at his family, then hugged his attorneys, The Charlotte Observer reported. He then sank back into his chair and shed tears.

Olsen's big brother, Greg, a tight end with the NFL's Carolina Panthers, was in court with him, as were his parents, Sue Chris, his former high school coach, The Charlotte Observer reported.

Jurors heard or read hundreds of text messages Olsen and his girlfriend exchanged before and after the alleged assault, according to the report. An expert searched through more than 15,000 texts on the accuser's phone.

Olsen was charged with raping a woman he was dating in 2017. He pleaded not guilty to all charged filed against him, prosecutors previously said in a Charlotte Observer report. (See related: Kevin Olsen Faces 30 Years In Prison On Rape Charges, Report Says)

Authorities previously said Olsen threatened to kill himself and the woman when they went out together on a Saturday night in February 2017, prosecutors previously said in a Charlotte Observer report. Olsen and the woman went out for drinks and got separated. That's when Olsen sent her a text message threatening to kill her, authorities previously said.

Olsen has a long history of legal troubles.

In May of 2013, just a month before graduation, Olsen was charged with leaving the scene of an accident after he smashed his car into two vehicles and a tree in Wayne. A police report on the incident stated that Olsen "appeared to be under the influence of something." (See related: QB Olsen Charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident)

Olsen attended the University of Miami. He was dismissed from Miami after a DUI arrest and for violating team rules. He never threw a pass for the Hurricanes. He was later dismissed from Towson University in Maryland for violating team rules. He most recently attended UNC Charlotte. (See related: Kevin Olsen, Ex-Wayne Hills Star, Leaves University of Miami After Arrest)

Olsen was an elite, championship-winning and All-American quarterback for his father, Chris, who coached him and his two older brothers at Wayne Hills. Chris Olsen won eight state group championships while at Hills, but left the program in disgrace after nine players were charged with assaulting two Wayne Valley students.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: Kevin Olsen of the Charlotte 49ers throws a pass in the second quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)