Chris Petersen: I told Art Briles about Sam Ukwuachu's violent past

— -- Former  Boise State coach Chris Petersen told ESPN on Friday that he informed  Baylor coach Art Briles about former Broncos defensive end Sam Ukwuachu's violent past before the player transferred to play for the Bears in 2013.

In a statement first given to ESPN.com, Petersen said he initiated a telephone call with Briles after Ukwuachu was dismissed from Boise State's team. Petersen was the Broncos' coach from 2006 to 2013 and is about to begin his second season at  Washington.

"After Sam Ukwuachu was dismissed from the Boise State football program and expressed an interest in transferring to Baylor, I initiated a call with coach Art Briles," Petersen said in the statement. "In that conversation, I thoroughly apprised Coach Briles of the circumstances surrounding Sam's disciplinary record and dismissal."

On Thursday, Ukwuachu was found guilty of sexually assaulting a then-Baylor soccer player in October 2013. A judge sentenced him Friday in Waco, Texas, to 180 days in county jail, felony probation for 10 years, and 400 hours of community service.

Ukwuachu had faced up to 20 years in prison.

Petersen's statement contradicts what Briles told reporters in Waco, Texas, on Friday morning. Briles said he spoke with Petersen personally but was not informed of any past violent incident before accepting Ukwuachu's transfer to Baylor in 2013.

"No mention of anything beyond Sam being depressed and needing to come home," Briles said. "So that was our information. And that's what you go by."

When asked specifically whether Boise State had informed Baylor of Ukwuachu's disciplinary record, Briles was emphatic in his denial.

"No. No. That's not true," Briles said. "Lord, no. No, there's no truth. Find out who informed us and talk to them, please."

Neither Briles nor Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw could be reached immediately to respond to Petersen's comments later Friday.

Boise State's decision to deny a waiver that would've allowed Ukwuachu to play in 2013 was not a red flag, Briles said, because schools rarely grant permission for immediate eligibility during typical transfer processes. He was ineligible to play for Baylor in the fall of 2013 due to NCAA transfer rules and suspended for the 2014 season.

The woman, who has since transferred, testified that Ukwuachu assaulted her at his apartment and that she yelled "no" and screamed during the assault, according to reports. She also testified that Ukwuachu told her "This is not rape," and asked her whether she was going to call the police.

Briles called Ukwuachu's conviction "unfortunate for everybody concerned," and he reiterated that the defensive end had been taken off the roster before he ever played or practiced with the team.

"Our timeline was followed by what the standards were here," Briles said. "When the incident happened, he's off the roster. Never played a down for us. So it's a very unfortunate situation for all concerned. That's all I've got to say about it."

During the trial, a former girlfriend at Boise State testified that Ukwuachu punched her in the head several times, choked her, physically restrained her from leaving and had a reputation for having a violent temper.

Ukwuachu, who was dismissed from Boise State in May 2013 for an unspecified violation of team rules, denied those allegations. 

Baylor investigated the sexual assault but determined there was not enough evidence to proceed and was going to allow Ukwuachu to play before the district attorney indicted him, according to the Waco Tribune. The school also was prepared to let Ukwuachu return to the team if he had been found not guilty, his attorney told the Tribune before the trial.

Briles, who spoke with reporters for four minutes before practice Friday morning, said he had no involvement in Baylor's investigation into the matter.