After Landing on His Neck in a Freak Accident During a Game, University of Iowa Cheerleader Feels ‘Very Lucky’ to Be Back on the Field

There were 2 minutes and 42 seconds left in the men’s basketball game between the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the University of Minnesota Gophers last January when a timeout was called.

Iowa cheerleader Austin Beam — who you might remember went viral in September 2023 when his pants fell down while flipping on a football field — started doing back handsprings across the court. But before he could finish the three flips he was attempting, he fell in mid-air and landed on his neck and shoulder.

Paramedics quickly came to help, and Beam gave a thumbs-up as he was carried off the court on a stretcher, wearing a neck brace. He later learned that he had broken his scapula and suffered a serious concussion. With rehab and dedication, he returned in time to cheer for March Madness.

“As soon as I was able to, I wanted to get back,” says Austin Beam, 21, a rising senior majoring in biomedical engineering at the University of Iowa.

Head Cheerleading Coach Gregg Niemiec says Beam is one of the best tumblers on the team, and his skill helped him avoid an even worse accident. “He’s hardworking, focused, and an all-around talent,” Niemiec says. “Being an established tumbler, he kind of tucked and rolled at the right time to avoid something worse.”

Beam shares how he recovered and returned to cheering, and he’s ready to cheer for his senior year. “When I look back, I feel very lucky — not that it happened — but it could have been much worse,” he says. “I was able to come back fast. I just feel grateful.”

Beam grew up in Ankeny, Iowa, and started gymnastics at age 9 because many of his friends were doing it. “I nagged my parents to let me try it, and I really liked it. I liked doing all the flips and being able to do things other people couldn’t.”

Some of his gymnastics friends joined competitive cheerleading. At first, Beam thought, “I don’t think I could do cheer.” But his friends encouraged him to try one practice, and it came naturally. He progressed quickly and joined the University of Iowa cheer team his freshman year.

“There are a lot of unique opportunities in cheer,” Beam says. “I like watching sports up close, going to away games, seeing different stadiums and campuses. I’ve gotten to go to NCAA tournaments and bowl games. I really enjoy the competitive side, like when we compete at UCA College Nationals every January.”

The accident happened on January 21, 2025, the day after the team returned from Nationals. There were only a few minutes left in the game. Everything was going well, and the band started playing “The Lone Ranger” theme, a tradition at every game during the last timeouts.

“I did two backflips and halfway through, I just fell; I landed on my neck and shoulder,” Beam recalls. “Sometimes that stuff just happens; it was unfortunate that it happened at a game on the hardwood floor. I was unconscious for around three to five minutes.”

Beam remembers waking up to an EMT asking him questions while lying on the floor. “Since I landed on my head, they didn’t want me to move. You don’t want to make it worse. So I just laid there and did what they said.”

He had a fractured shoulder blade and a serious concussion. Beam went home with his parents for a week to rest, then returned to campus once he felt better. “The concussion made my head hurt, but the shoulder was the hardest part. Moving it caused a lot of pain. Within a couple of weeks, I started regaining mobility.”

With physical therapy, Beam slowly got back into motion and built strength around the fracture. “It was a step-by-step process, starting with range-of-motion exercises, then strength training,” he says.

The first time Beam tumbled after his recovery was at an open gym with his coaches. “I was kind of nervous, but it was muscle memory. I just had to do it,” he says.

Beam knew he had only his senior year left to cheer. “I didn’t want to waste time. I wanted to get back.” He returned to cheer at the NCAA tournament and finished the season strong.

This summer, the team has been practicing, and Beam has been working hard to get back into stunting and cheer routines. “If you text the coach, they’ll come to the gym with you, which is really helpful. I’ve been putting in a lot of time to get back to work.”

Reflecting on the accident, Beam says, “I don’t know exactly what went wrong that day in January. At first, people said my hand or foot slipped, but the video showed I just made an error. It was just a fluke, and I don’t see it happening again — knock on wood!”

Beam is excited for football season, one of his favorite times to cheer. “It’s a little bittersweet that my cheer career will end soon, but I want to make the most of it. Mistakes will happen, you’ll get hurt, but you can’t stop trying. You have to get back up. It’ll always get better. Don’t give up, just get back out there.”