Notes from TCU spring practice, where Patterson is "a little bit hurt" by lawsuit

FORT WORTH -- After an intense, loud pass skeleton drill, Gary Patterson was marching toward the sideline. He slid the black visor off his head, wiped his brow and asked me a question. "How would you coach 'em?" "What do you mean?" I asked. "You see how fast these guys are out here. Wouldn't you be running around everywhere screaming, too?" Before Sunday, Patterson hadn't spoken to the media since TCU's Alamo Bowl win back on Dec. 28. Back on Feb. 1, ex-TCU receiver Kolby Listenbee filed a lawsuit alleging Patterson and others within the program mistreated him and his groin injury, preventing him from playing in the NFL. He spoke for a little more than 21 minutes on his team's current makeup before addressing questions about the lawsuit following Sunday's spring practice, the second of 15 this spring. Guns blazing wouldn't be an accurate assessment of his comments, and while Patterson stayed away from addressing any details of the lawsuit, he wanted to make it clear he's well-stocked with ammo to fight the lawsuit. "I'm excited to tell our side. It's just not going to be today," he said. Listenbee has not responded to multiple interview requests from DCTF in recent weeks. Patterson said his program has "never prioritized winning" at the cost of player health and safety, and said he's gotten zero questions from parents of current players or recruits about the lawsuit, which alleges that doctors injected him with pain medication that allowed him to tolerate the pain and play but caused damage to pelvic cartilage that later required surgery to install a metal plate. He also alleged Patterson and other coaches bullied him, ridiculed him and threatened to dismiss him from school if he didn't return to the field on their preferred timeline. "I guess I was a little bit hurt," Patterson said. "I'm one of those coaches that put everything in my life into kids. Growing them up, giving them opportunity." Five more players — Lonta Hobbs, Ed Wesley, David Johnson, Stansly Maponga and Cameron White — added their stories to Listenbee's lawsuit late last month. Patterson said "a lot" of ex-players have contacted him with support and a desire to speak out. He told them to "lay in the weeds," and not do so for now. "Our outside doctors and our staff has always been unbelievable dealing with our student-athletes," he said. "Bottom line to it is, it's always been about the program. It's never been about winning. Winning is important but never in front of someone's health. There's not much I can answer there."

A shake-up at quarterback