TCU and coach Gary Patterson have come under fire for the treatment of an injured player with a lawsuit filed by former Horned Frogs wide receiver Kolby Listenbee.
In a filing on Jan. 31 in Dallas County Court, Listenbee alleges -- via the Star-Telegram -- that coaches "continuously pressured, humiliated, and harassed Listenbee shortly after his injury diagnosis in an effort to force Listenbee to return to play quickly in their quest for a national football championship." Listenbee suffered an injury against SMU during his senior season in 2015, a year that TCU finished 11-2 with a No. 7 ranking in the final AP poll. He alleges that TCU's staff "routinely injected him with pain and steroidal medications to make it possible for him to endure the pain of the injury while playing."
According to Listenbee's lawsuit, the pelvic injury that he claimed to suffer against SMU "requires a minimum of six months of rest and rehabilitation." The pelvic cartilage damage has required the insertion of a metal plate to fuse his bones, so Listenbee is seeking compensation for the "NFL career he could have had."
Listenbee was drafted in the sixth round by the Buffalo Bills in 2016, but released a year later without every having played a game.
"As a practice, Texas Christian University does not comment on the specifics of pending litigation," TCU said in an official statement in response to the lawsuit. "However, TCU takes tremendous pride in its long-standing tradition of excellence in providing a positive experience for its student-athletes, especially in the areas of care, prevention and rehabilitation of athletic injuries."
