SEATTLE — A University of Washington (UW) football player is facing charges for allegedly raping two women in Seattle last year, according to court documents released Tuesday. Records show he also played in two UW football playoff games after the allegations.
The Seattle Police Department said they arrested 18-year-old Tylin "Tybo" Tamis Rogers on Friday around 9 a.m. near Husky Stadium in the 3900 block of Montlake Boulevard. Police said Rogers was booked into the King County Jail, and he was charged Tuesday with second-degree and third-degree rape.
His bail was set for $150,000 for each rape case, according to court documents. He has since posted bail.
UW said Tuesday that Rogers has been suspended from all team activities.
Detectives started investigating the suspect after a Seattle Central Community College student said she was raped in October 2023 in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Investigators believed Rogers was involved in another additional rape case from November 2023 in the University District. The second victim was a 22-year-old undergraduate student at the University of Washington.
According to court documents, Rogers met the first victim after matching with her on Tinder in August 2023. Rogers met her at her apartment on Oct. 23, ignored her pleas and forced her to do a sexual act for 10 minutes, according to court documents. Authorities said in court documents that the victim reported the rape on Oct. 28, 2023, and took a sexual assault exam at Harborview Medical Center.
Rogers met the second victim at a Halloween party at Greek Row at UW and matched with her on Tinder, according to court documents. Police said Rogers was immediately forceful with the victim when he entered her apartment, where he assaulted her for 20 minutes. At one point, the woman told police Rogers "used one of his hands to strangle her."
The first woman reported the incident to UW and their Title IX Office on Nov. 28, police said.
Rogers was suspended from team activities in November 2023, according to authorities. The freshman running back did not travel with the team for its 34-31 victory over the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship game on Dec. 1.
At the time, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb told Sports Illustrated the team was "working through some things, some challenges he's had off the field," the court documents revealed.
KING 5 reached Grubb by phone and asked if he knew about the rape accusations when that video was recorded. He didn't answer that question and said he wasn't comfortable commenting on the case.
Grubb was hired as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks after UW's winning season.
Former head coach Kalen DeBoer did not explain why Rogers was suspended in December.
That was something sports journalist Dan Raley found strange.
"He was a good football player, but we get into December, and he didn't go to the Pac-12 championship game, and that was kind of odd," said Raley.
Raley is the journalist Grubb spoke to about Rogers' absence. He works as a contractor for Sports Illustrated's FanNation.
On Dec. 15, 2023, Rogers was allowed to return to the team, according to court documents, and he went on to play in the Sugar Bowl and National Championship game.
DeBoer's media representatives at the University of Alabama and those of former Athletic Director Troy Dannen, who is now in Nebraska, did not return requests for comment about Rogers and if they were aware of the allegations when he was let back on the team.
After practice on Tuesday, UW football head coach Jedd Fisch spoke to the media about the situation. When asked how he plans to ensure that allegations against his players are taken seriously, he said: "Well, they're certainly going to be taken seriously. ... I wasn't here for that, that had nothing to do with what we do here."
Officials said there were multiple emails within the UW Athletic Department confirming Rogers should be taken off the team's travel roster for the Pac-12 championship game, but there was no documentation of reasons for the move. The freshman running back was allowed to appear in the Huskies' two College Football Playoff games a month later, however.
Rogers recorded five carries for 19 yards in the Huskies' semifinal win over the Texas Longhorns on Jan. 1 and rushed for two yards in the National Championship Game against the Michigan Wolverines on Jan. 8.
Tinder said Wednesday that it has banned Rogers' account and will cooperate with the police investigation.
"What has been reported is horrible and has no place on our platform or anywhere," the company said in a statement.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Additional resources are available on the Washington State Department of Health's website.