Back in January 2025, Iowa cheerleader Austin Beam suffered a horrifying injury during a men's basketball game against Minnesota. He had to be taken off the floor in a stretcher. Beam was trying to perform back handsprings when he unfortunately landed on his neck and shoulder. It was eventually ...
Iowa Cheerleader Who Suffered 'Freak' Injury Updates Status For College Football Season originally appeared on The Spun.
Back in January 2025, Iowa cheerleader Austin Beam suffered a horrifying injury during a men's basketball game against Minnesota. He had to be taken off the floor in a stretcher.
Beam was trying to perform back handsprings when he unfortunately landed on his neck and shoulder. It was eventually revealed that he suffered a concussion and a broken scapula. Despite how severe that may sound, he actually returned in time for the NCAA Tournament.
"When I look back on it, I feel very lucky — not that it happened — but with an injury like that, it could have been a lot worse," Beam said. "I was able to come back fast. I just feel grateful."
Iowa's cheerleading coach, Gregg Niemiec, has been nothing but supportive of Beam throughout his recovery process.
"He’s hardworking, focused and an all-around talent," Niemiec said. "Being an established tumbler, he kind of tucked and rolled at the right time to avoid something worse."
Although Beam returned for March Madness, it was unclear if he'd be on the sideline for the 2025 college football season.
Well, Beam made it clear that he's ready to represent Iowa this fall.
"This summer we’ve been practicing as a team and it's been going really well," Beam said, via People. "We've made a lot of progress. I've definitely worked out a lot more and stunted with some of my friends on the team to get back into it. If you text the coach, they'll come in to the gym with you, which is really nice. So we set up a decent amount of time for me to get in and just get back to work.
"I’m definitely looking forward to football season. That's one of my favorite times of the year to cheer on the sidelines. Everyone's just really excited all day long, which is just exciting to be a part of. I'm very excited to cheer my senior year. It's a little bittersweet that it'll all come to an end, but I just want to make the most of it."
Iowa will begin its 2025 season on Aug. 30 against Albany. The following matchup will be against Iowa State on Sept. 6.
Iowa Cheerleader Who Suffered 'Freak' Injury Updates Status For College Football Season first appeared on The Spun on Aug 15, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
