A Coles County jury took only 30 minutes to hand down a verdict in a two-day rape trial involving a former Eastern football player and a student.

Antwan G. Oliver, 21 of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was found innocent of criminal sexual assault after an incident at his residence Jan. 20.

Assistant state’s attorney Duane Deters needed to prove three things in the trial.

He needed to prove the act of penetration, which was proven by medical records and confirmed by court testimony.

He needed to prove there was force, on which Oliver and the 19-year-old woman plaintiff disagreed.

In the woman’s testimony she said, “I told him no over and over again. He wasn’t listening. I was so afraid of what might happen if I did fight back.”

Deters also needed to prove the sex was non-consentual.

Defense attorney Ron Tulin of Charleston said the woman consented to sex with Oliver.

“She didn’t try to run away,” Tulin said Thursday. “What she said was, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this.'”

A witness, who was a friend of the woman’s from Bollingbrook, testified that the plaintiff told her on the night of the incident “she was horny” and she thought Oliver was attractive.

Deters was unavailable for comment Thursday.

Tulin said his client didn’t use any force and the woman’s testimony showed some inconsistencies. The woman testified that Oliver got on top of her, removed her pants and underwear and raped her. Tulin said she removed her clothes of her own will.

“I was surprised this case went to trial,” Tulin said. “I didn’t really think the state had all that much of a case because of the inconsistencies in her testimony.”

Ferguson said Tuesday during his opening statement Oliver first told police the woman and her friends weren’t at the apartment at the time of the alleged incident. He later said he and the woman had consentual sex.

Oliver was a starting defensive back for the Panthers last season, but Eastern voided his scholarship for this year because of the alleged incident. Oliver was free on bond and currently is enrolled at Illinois State University. Oliver redshirted because he didn’t know when the trial would go to court. He is currently trying to regain his scholarship at Illinois State.

“I feel a lot better now that this is over,” Oliver said. “I wasn’t really nervous during the trial. I know I didn’t do anything.”