A second-degree assault charge against former Penn State defensive lineman Kevin Givens has been dropped, according to a report today out of San Francisco, where Givens is a member of the 49ers.
On Feb. 22, Givens had a confrontation with a man at a hotel in Baltimore that led to a second-degree assault charge being filed. This is from the initial ESPN news story of the incident, which NSN cited in our March 26 story.
The charge, which is for misdemeanor second-degree assault, stems from an incident that took place on Feb. 22 in which the victim, Hayden Bosley, said he suffered “a dislocated shoulder, a black right eye, bruises above his left ear and minor skin scrapes,” in the court documents, copies of which were obtained by ESPN.
According to court documents, Bosley said he was out with Givens, Givens’ girlfriend and another friend when they decided to return to the Sheraton Hotel. When Bosley asked Givens if he was going with them, Bosley said Givens got angry and the other three people in the party left.
After Bosley, Givens’ girlfriend and their other friend returned to the hotel, Givens arrived and allegedly attacked Bosley in the hallway on the fifth floor of the hotel. Bosley said he ran away to another nearby hotel and waited for a friend to take him to the hospital where his injuries were treated.
The following tweet was posted Wednesday night by The Athletic reporter David Lombardi:
For what it’s worth: Kevin Givens’ misdemeanor charge is no longer listed in online Maryland court records. There had previously been a 5/26 hearing listed on there.
Today, 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans named Givens as a young player he’s particularly excited about
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) June 3, 2021
Givens, a defensive tackle from Altoona, Pa., who played at Penn State from 2015-18, went undrafted in 2019. But he made the 49ers and had an impact last season, appearing in 13 games (one start) and recording 19 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and one fumble recovery.
His legal situation made things a bit questionable with regards to his status with the 49ers, but with the charges now dropped, Givens apparently once again is a big part of the team’s plans going forward.
This is from the NBC Sports story out of San Francisco:
First-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans was asked Wednesday about which players he envisions taking big steps forward in 2021, Givens was the first name he mentioned.
“I think when you talk about young players who are on the verge of breaking out, I look at a young guy like Kevin Givens and the way he’s been working,” Ryans said. “It’s been outstanding to see him work. He’s getting better and better each day.”
Earlier this offseason, Givens also received praise from teammate D.J. Jones, who commented on Givens’ quickness at the snap of the ball.
“He’s a twitch guy,” Jones said. “Nobody’s talking about him, but they will be soon.”
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