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Tim Beckman didn't want to talk about abuse allegations

Illinois coach Tim Beckman was asked Thursday at Big Ten media days about the allegations of player abuse that have been levied against him this offseason.

Beckman did not want to answer them. When asked about the abusive treatment mentioned by former players he said he was focused about the 2015 season.

"I've been around some great, great individuals throughout my career, from high school coaches on up to the college coaches that I've been able to play for and work for," Beckman said.

"You know, we're focused right now on a 2015 football team. We took off from last year after a great end of the year. And we've been focused since January on becoming a better football program. The philosophy that we continue to use is what these football players believe in football."

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Former offensive tackle Simon Cvijanovic alleged in May on Twitter that Beckman had forced him to rush back from an injury and that he quit playing football to preserve his health. Another former player said he was forced to rush back from a knee injury.

Other players also alleged in a CNN report that Beckman was needlessly physical at football practices. The school hired a law firm to look into Cvijanovic's claims while the school's athletic director said he supported Beckman.

Beckman said he considered himself a father figure for his players.

"We're fathers," Beckman said. "I think that each one of our coaches would say the same thing. We're in the process of providing avenues for our football players to become better men, become better football players. We want the best. We want a relationship for a lifetime as we talk to them. We want to be able to communicate with one another throughout their lives. So, as a football coach and as being the part of a football program, I think those are very essential parts of leading young men.

Beckman is 12-25 in his Illinois career and is considered a likely candidate to be replaced if Illinois doesn't improve upon its 2014 season. The Illini lost to Louisiana Tech in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. He repeated the mantra that he was focused on the upcoming season when he was asked about his contract status and the pressure to win games in 2015.

"I am focused on the first football game," Beckman said. "That is what this team is focused on. We know we've got a Kent State football team September 4th. We know we're excited about getting together on August 5th and then moving to Rantoul on August 9th ... We're focused in on what we can be focused in on right now and that's Kent State."

For more Illinois news, visit OrangeandBlueNews.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!