Pitt football player dismissed after woman claims assault

PITTSBURGH — Pitt football coach Paul Chryst has dismissed redshirt freshman defensive back Stephen Williams from the team for disciplinary reasons two days after city police charged him with assaulting a woman who claimed to be his girlfriend.

The 19-year-old Williams denied hitting the woman, though police said in a criminal complaint that he did acknowledge shoving the woman after she flagged down police Saturday about 2 a.m.

Williams faces a preliminary hearing in Pittsburgh Municipal Court Thursday on a misdemeanor charge of simple assault.

Police said the woman had marks on her chest and claimed her hair and an earring had been ripped out.

Investigators said Williams denied assaulting the woman or that she was his girlfriend.

Also, two other redshirt freshmen, linebacker Jason Frimpong of Irving, Texas, and defensive back Roderick Ryles of Orlando, Fla., have left the team and been given permission to transfer. Neither played this season, but Frimpong was competing for a starting job at outside linebacker in training camp.

All three players were part of the former coach Todd Graham's 2011 recruiting class. Eight players from that 21-man class have left the team or been dismissed.

Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE  contributed to this report.

WPXI