Former college football player accuses ex-coach of ‘abuse and misuse of power’
Former Illinois offensive lineman Simon Cvijanovic has accused head coach Tim Beckman of forcing him to play through injuries and other forms of “abuse and misuse of power.”
Cvijanovic, a three-year starter at tackle, lashed out against his former program and coach in a long series of tweets sent Sunday, alleging mistreatment after he sustained football-related injuries in 2013 and 2014.
Cvijanovic told the Chicago Tribune that he is considering legal action after his own knee and shoulder injuries were mishandled by Beckman and the team’s athletic medical staff, damaging his chances at an NFL career. Cvijanovic and his father, Frank, allege that Peter Cvijanovic’s — Simon’s brother and Illini offensive lineman — diabetes also was mistreated. The younger Cvijanovic recently received a medical hardship scholarship after his first season at Illinois.
“I’m trying to give everyone the power to stand up,” Cvijanovic tweeted from his Twitter account. “(Players) here don’t believe in themselves. They think everything that is happening is normal, but Beckman is exploiting all the negatives of the NCAA. He knows we have no one to go to, and by the time we can afford to stand up for ourselves, it’s too late.”
Illinois coach Tim Beckman released a statement Sunday.
“Simon Cvijanovic was a valued member of the University of Illinois football team,” Beckman said in the statement. “He chose to leave the team during the 2014 regular season and withdrew from the university before the end of the semester.
“Upon his return for the spring semester, we have continued to support him with medical care, an academic scholarship and academic advising. We cannot make any student accept our support.
“We wish him success in completing his degree, and we wish him the best of success in whatever he pursues after he graduates.”
Cvijanovic started 33 games over four years, including nine at left tackle as a senior.
Cvijanovic said he was pushed to return to practice two days after he suffered a labrum tear in his left shoulder on Nov. 1 against Ohio State.
Cvijanovic said he was told by offensive line coach Tom Brattan that pain from his injuries were “in my head.”
The shoulder injury occurred after Cvijanovic hurt his left knee as a junior. An Illinois-hired doctor performed arthroscopic surgery, removing meniscus from the knee in December 2013.
Among his comments on Twitter, Cvijanovic wrote that Beckman “and his staff have systematically removed our voices by holding scholarships over our head” and that “I’m not just gonna keep quiet while players suffer.”
Cvijanovic continued the accusations on Twitter on Monday.
