Jeff Dewsnup, a soccer prodigy whose talent promised a stellar career, seemed poised for greatness after delivering one of the most remarkable rookie seasons on record.
At just 15 years old, the towering 6-foot-1 goalkeeper made history by becoming the youngest player ever signed to the first team of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.
Despite receiving scholarship offers from prestigious universities like Stanford, Columbia, Princeton, and Wake Forest, Dewsnup also caught the eye of international soccer clubs such as Fulham, Crystal Palace, and PSV Eindhoven, all eager to secure his talents.
However, in a surprising turn of events in April 2022, Dewsnup stunned the soccer community by stepping away from the sport. He later revealed that his decision was driven by a deep sense of misery, to the point where he considered self-harm.
The reasons behind his abrupt departure were initially vague, but a recent $100 million lawsuit has brought to light allegations of sexual harassment by teammates during what was described as cruel hazing “games.”
Dewsnup claimed he was traumatized as grown men mocked the size of his penis, waved their genitals at him, and threw soccer balls at his naked bottom.
The lawsuit against RSL, the US Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer, filed in Utah’s Third District Court, also claimed coaches forced him to train on an injured shoulder.
Allegedly suffering from PTSD, Dewsnup, now 22, claimed he would need $20 million in psychiatric treatment and demanded another $80 million for the pro career the abuse robbed him of.
‘Plaintiff seeks to hold defendants accountable for… committing intentional acts of abuse that destroyed [his] career and caused him to attempt suicide,’ the lawsuit read.
Soccer prodigy Jeff Dewsnup appeared to be on the cusp of greatness in early 2022 after one of the best rookie seasons ever seen. But he abruptly quit the sport that April
What drove him to the edge was only alluded to at the time, but now a $100 million lawsuit claims he was sexually harassed by teammates in cruel hazing ‘games’
Growing up in Herriman, Utah, Dewsnup’s childhood dream was always to play soccer.
Even as a boy of five or six, he was running around the field in a tiny RSL jersey getting autographs from the team he would one day play for.
His parents, Darin and Melanie Dewsnup, drove him an hour north almost every day from their 7,000sqft six-bedroom mansion to play for his local junior club La Roca FC.
The couple, who are worth millions of dollars, provided the young star with the ideal launching pad for even the greater riches of a pro career.
Darin, a managing director for investments at Wells Fargo’s Salt Lake City office, is entrusted with more than $2 billion in client funds.
Dewsnup’s sister Abby Johnson is a popular author of Mormon literature, and the whole family is active in the church.
The family also owns 12 plots of land totaling 2,221 acres worth $1.2 million around Soldier Summit, a ghost town at the top of Spanish Fork Canyon.
Developers have been trying to turn the desolate but spectacular area holiday destination since the 1980s. Their attempts ended in ugly lawsuits by the early 2000s, but investors like the Dewsnups hope to cash in if it ever happens.
Growing up in Herriman, Utah, Dewsnup’s childhood dream was always to play soccer
Even as a boy of five or six, he was running around the field in a tiny RSL jersey getting autographs from the team he would one day play for
Dewsnup’s career took off after he joined the RSL Academy aged 14 and was called up to both the under-15 and under-17 Team USA sides.
Then in December 2020, the 16-year-old became the youngest player signed by the team with a four-year professional contract.
‘Jeff is a fantastic young goalkeeper with an extremely bright future in the game,’ then-RSL general manager Elliot Fall said at the time.
‘As a Herriman native, he is a further testament to our investment in development and soccer in our community.’
Dewsnup’s lawsuit claimed the euphoria was short lived, as his new, much older, teammates – named in the complaint as Aaron Herrera, David Ochoa, Tate Schmitt and, Justen Glad – allegedly began hazing him in the shared locker room.
Herrera, a veteran player now at DC United, allegedly exposed his genitals to Dewsnup and jumped up and down to wave them around.
‘Herrera looked directly at [Dewsnup] while doing so, and the conduct was done with the intent to arouse or gratify Herrera’s own sexual desire or to humiliate and sexually exploit him,’ the lawsuit claimed.
Herrera and Ochoa were also accused of making repeated sexual comments about the teenager’s genitals while he was changing and showering.
‘Ochoa said to other players within [Dewsnup’s] hearing, “Look at his [penis]” followed by laughter. On separate occasions, Defendant Herrera made similar comments,’ the complaint claimed.
Dewsnup’s career took off after he joined the RSL Academy aged 14 (pictured top left with academy teammates)
In December 2020, the 16-year-old became the youngest player signed by the team with a four-year professional contract
The lawsuit claimed the duo joined with Schmitt and Glad to throw a soccer ball at Dewsnup’s naked buttocks as he ran around the locker room.
‘They repeatedly attempted to hit [Dewsnup’s] naked buttocks with a ball, laughing and taunting him when he expressed discomfort. [Dewsnup] was forced to dodge the ball while naked,’ the lawsuit claimed.
‘The conduct was not accidental; it was a repeated ‘game’ specifically targeting [Dewsnup] because he was a minor and because he had expressed discomfort.’
Dewsnup began waiting two hours after training to shower so he could avoid his teammates and their alleged abuse, the lawsuit claimed.
‘Other minors on the US National Team also expressed their discomfort to [Melanie] Dewsnup and being uncomfortable in the first-team locker room and they were also exposed to bullying and harassment,’ the lawsuit added.
The lawsuit claimed RSL coaches weren’t much better, and he was frequently belittled in front of the team for complaining he was injured.
RSL goalkeeping coach Ignacio Hernandez was singled out for allegedly forcing him to train on an injured shoulder, causing the problem to worsen.
‘Hernandez repeatedly accused [Dewsnup] of faking his shoulder injury, called him a liar in front of other players and staff, and forced him to train on an injured shoulder by threatening verbal abuse if he refused, and constantly verbally abused Mr Dewsnup during practices,’ the lawsuit claimed.
Dewsnup’s father Darin, a managing director for investments at Wells Fargo’s Salt Lake City office
Dewsnup with his parents and his three older siblings. His sister Abby Johnson is now a popular author of Mormon literature, and the whole family is active in the church
The complaint also accused Hernandez of ‘mishandling’ Dewsnup’s foot and hip injuries.
Darin Dewsnup reported the alleged bullying and poor injury treatment to the team several times, but it ‘did nothing’, according to the civil complaint.
The lawsuit accused RSL of failing in its duty of care to protect an underage player from abuse by adult teammates, and provide him with medical care.
‘RSL placed its own financial and reputational interests above [Dewsnup’s] safety, intentionally sacrificing a minor child’s well being to avoid the inconvenience and expense of implementing child protection measures,’ the lawsuit claimed.
Dewsnup should have had an adult participant personal care assistant to supervise his activities, and didn’t train staff to properly safeguard him, it argued.
The club also allegedly failed to make mandatory reports to police or the US Center for SafeSport when told of the locker room hazing.
SafeSport’s Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies noted young athletes were ‘especially vulnerable to abuse in changing areas where they are undressing and possibly showering’.
‘Appropriate monitoring is necessary in these areas to prevent abuse and other inappropriate conduct,’ the policy added.
Darin and Melanie Dewsnup drove him an hour north almost every day from their 7,000sqft six-bedroom mansion to play for his local junior club La Roca FC
The family also owns 12 plots of land (borders of one pictured) totaling 2,221 acres worth $1.2 million around Soldier Summit, a ghost town at the top of Spanish Fork Canyon
By April 2022, the lawsuit claimed Dewsnup was so traumatized that he was rushed to hospital after attempting suicide.
‘[Dewsnup] now suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, severe emotional distress, and permanent loss of his soccer career,’ the lawsuit claimed.
He was forced to ‘resign entirely from soccer altogether given the experiences with no desire to go back’.
The lawsuit insisted Dewsnup did not have pre-existing health issues and his condition was caused solely by his treatment at RSL.
After he told RSL of his decision in April 2022, the complaint claimed he was presented with a resignation document and told to sign it on the spot.
That document included a ‘release of claims’ clause that banned him from suing the club, which his lawyers argued was unenforceable.
Dewsnup’s lawsuit asked the court to throw out the declaration as he was 17, under duress, and not allowed to consult a lawyer or his parents.
‘Any payment made was nominal or was compensation already owed to plaintiff for work performed,’ the lawsuit claimed.
‘A release that would deprive a minor victim of the right to sue his abusers is unconscionable as a matter of law.’
RSL denied the allegations and said the team takes athlete safety ‘extremely seriously.’
‘The club is aware of a complaint filed by a former professional player and firmly denies the allegations,’ RSL said in a statement. ‘The club will vigorously defend itself through the legal process.’
Darin with his son during his junior days before he began at RSL Academy
One of the many milestones in Dewsnup’s astonishing season for Real Salt Lake in the United Soccer League – the second level of US soccer – in 2021-22
MLS called the allegations ‘serious’ and said the League would review them.
‘Player safety and well-being are core priorities for the League,’ the league said in a statement.
‘We are committed to maintaining standards, policies, and reporting processes intended to promote a safe environment and compliance with applicable SafeSport standards.’
They added: ‘Based on the information available to us, we believe the League conducted itself appropriately.’
None of the players or coaches named in the complaint would comment.
Dewsnup never spoke about the alleged abuse, and filed the lawsuit days before his 22nd birthday – the deadline for the court to hear his case.
The closest he came was an interview with Sportbible in January 2023 where he complained he ‘wasn’t always treated the best’ by his teammates.
Dewsnup explained that though he performed well on the pitch, his mental health was in a dangerous spiral whenever he was off it.
‘When I was playing, I would feel like a monster. I’d just put it all away and go out and play, and I’d do well,’ he said.
‘But you’re only playing for 90 minutes and then you have the rest of your life to live. And I was really struggling outside of that.’
By March 2022, he was at such a low point that ‘nothing seemed to make me feel happy’.
Dewsnup in a recent photo, having grown out his hair as part of his post-soccer music career
Dewsnup with his fiancee Carmen Roadifer, at their engagement in June 2023
‘I isolated myself for four or five days. I was just tired of feeling the way I was feeling. I wasn’t happy. I was miserable. It was making me become a person I didn’t want to be,’ he said.
‘I didn’t have any motivation for life in general. I’d just play my guitar in my room. That was probably the lowest point. I didn’t go out much. I had thoughts of self harm.’
Once he hung up his boots for good, his life improved when he threw himself into music, which he said ‘absolutely saved my life’.
Dewsnup released his first song later in 2022 and in August 2024 his first solo album including a song about sexual abuse that helped work through his trauma.
He is now one half of Cove Grove, alongside his fiancee Carmen Roadifer, to whom he got engaged in June 2023.
The almost-star said he knew many of his fans wouldn’t understand why he gave it all away.
‘It’s still not easy for anyone in the soccer world but ultimately, I don’t really care because it’s my life,’ he said.
