CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Opening statements to jurors are expected Tuesday in a civil trial against Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason.
Greg Frye claims Beason sucker punched him at the Uptown Cabaret strip club in November 2009.
Frye says the injuries to his face were so bad that they required surgery to repair.
Beason says he did not punch Frye and is defending his name with his own malicious prosecution and slander lawsuit against Frye.
"What a spectacle. Like a player just got drafted,” Beason said walking out of court Monday next to reporters and photographers.
Beason's attorneys say Frye pretended to be an NFL player and even pretended to be Panthers defensive lineman Tyler Brayton to impress girls and get attention.
Back in 2009, someone overheard Frye say that he saw Beason do what looked like cocaine at party on Lake Norman.
Beason confronted Frye about it at the club.
Frye says he asked Beason to come outside to talk and Beason sucker punched him when he turned around.
The injuries to Frye's face required surgery.
Beason previously told NewsChannel 36 that he's never used drugs and didn't hit Frye.
"For people to say certain things, it definitely gets under your skin. But, how you react to it is really revealing true character,” Beason said in December, 2009.
Beason's attorneys will likely go after Frye’s character.
The judge ruled during pre-trial motions that Frye's impersonation of an NFL player and 1.57 GPA at UNCC can be brought up in court
Beason’s attorneys say Frye said he only needed a couple of classes to graduate and claim that would be false, given his GPA.
Frye’s attorneys say the statement about his academic record needing only a few classes is accurate.
The judge also said at least one Frye's previous run-ins with the law is up to his leeway for jurors to hear during trial.
Meanwhile, Frye's lawsuit says when questioned about the incident, Beason's response was something like "Yeah, I hit him. It might cost me a hundred grand, but you don't go around telling people I'm doing coke and frontin' like you play in the league."
Frye's attorneys also say Beason can't claim injury to his reputation because they say Beason injured his own reputation by taking part in a sexually graphic video they allege Beason made with other University of Miami football players.
That video ended up on YouTube. The judge said he'll reserve his ruling on that video for a later time.
Another thing the judge said can be brought up is the district attorney dropping assault charges against Beason for lack of evidence.
Since this is a civil trial, all either side needs to show is a preponderance of the evidence, not reasonable doubt.
Both Beason and Frye’s civil suits are being tried at the same time.
Both sides are seeking damages.
The trial could last until the end of the week.
