Former Giants star Dave Meggett was sentenced to 30 years in prison yesterday after being convicted in South Carolina of raping a coed.
Meggett, a Pro Bowl player and hero of the Giants’ Super Bowl XXV victory in 1991, was found guilty of criminal- sexual conduct and first-de gree burglary by a Charleston County jury after several hours of deliberation.
Prosecutors said Meggett, 44, at tacked the young woman at her house in North Charles ton in January 2009.
The 21-year-old victim said she owed money to Meggett, and he assaulted her to exact payback.
Meggett also choked her.
Prosecutor Cul ver Kidd hugged the victim after the verdict was announced and told her she was very brave for testifying, the Charleston Post Courier reported.
Meggett did not testify during his three-day trial, but his law yer, Beattie Butler, said the two agreed to have sex to pay off the debt.
He said Meggett, who is not eligible for parole until 2035, will appeal.
The former grid great may also face charges in an unrelated September 2008 incident where he’s accused of forcing a teen ager to have sex after inviting her to his home for breakfast, the paper said.
Prosecutors haven’t decided whether to proceed with those charges in light of his current conviction.
After retiring from the NFL following the 1998 season with the Jets, Meggett returned to North Charleston, where he attended high school, and had several run-ins with the law.
In 2007, he pleaded guilty to the sexual battery of a girlfriend. He has been charged with at least five sex raps since 1990.
Meggett was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round in 1989, and led the NFL in punt-return yardage in his first two seasons.
He gained 129 yards in combined rushing, receiving and kickoff and punt returns in the Giants’ 20-19 Super Bowl XXV victory over the Buffalo Bills.
He’s not the first member of that squad to run afoul of the law. Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor has had numerous legal problems, including his May arrest for allegedly having sex with an underage prostitute in a Rockland County motel room.
And wide receiver Mark Ingram is serving nearly 10 years in federal prison for bank fraud and money laundering.
Meggett retired after six years with the Giants, three seasons with the New England Patriots and one with the Jets. He ranks second in the NFL record book with 3,708 yards on punt returns.