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After fueling Illinois player mistreatment investigation, Simon Cvijanovic gets injury settlement
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Two years ago, Simon Cvijanovic made what many perceived as an outlandish claim about his former university.
The Illini football player accused former Illinois coach Tim Beckman of mistreating players. That prompted a widespread investigation, which showed that Cvijanovic’s claims were accurate. As a result, Beckman and eventually Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas were both fired.
Cvijanovic’s accusations uncovered an ugly truth about the program. Now, those accusations made him a little richer.
On Monday night, Cvijanovic received a $250,000 settlement from the university as compensation to cover medical expenses from his injuries.
— Simon Cvijanović (@SimonCvijanovic) May 30, 2017
Cvijanovic accused Beckman of forcing him to play through shoulder and knee injuries during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The former Illini offensive lineman will receive the money through the university’s self-insurance plan, according to the release.
“As a proud alumnus of the University of Illinois, I am pleased to see necessary administrative changes have been made in efforts of prioritizing player safety,” Cvijanovic said in a release. “I am hopeful that these actions and outcomes will mature a wholesome, positive educational experience for all students on all campuses in our future.”
Cvijanovic tweeted that he made history with the settlement.
This agreement marks the first time in history a college athlete has been rightfully compensated for his sports related injuries.
— Simon Cvijanović (@SimonCvijanovic) May 30, 2017
Cvijanovic will have a press conference on Thursday to address the settlement and resolution to the three-year battle.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.