Ex-Baylor player Sam Ukwuachu denied new trial in sex assault case

WACO, Texas -- A former Baylor University football player convicted of sexually assaulting a female soccer player at the Texas school has been denied a new trial.

Twenty-two-year-old Sam Ukwuachu's request for the new trial was rejected during a hearing Monday. Ukwuachu was found guilty in August and sentenced to 180 days in jail. He was also given 10 years of probation, plus 400 hours of community service. He had faced up to 20 years in prison.

The former defensive end's attorney, William Bratton III, says he will appeal the conviction.

Ukwuachu transferred to Baylor University in 2013 from Boise State University, where he started 12 games as a freshman, after being dismissed for unspecified reasons. He never played for Baylor. Ukwuachu was ineligible in 2013 because of NCAA transfer rules and suspended in 2014, though Baylor never gave a reason for the suspension.