(Editor's Note: I watched Saskatchewan defeat Edmonton in the CFL season opener on ESPN on Saturday. It brought back memories of Justin Beaver at Rough Rider's training camp in June of 2008)
The UW-Whitewater football team will look to rebound from its 7-3 record in 2011. Who knows… maybe three consecutive unbeaten seasons, three straight Division 3 national titles and seven consecutive WIAC championships and trips to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl caught up with the Hawks.
I don’t subscribe to that theory but I do wonder if seven consecutive championship seasons resulted in some (especially) fans to take unbeaten seasons for granted.
Most of the current UWW players weren’t around when Justin Beaver led his mid-2000’s teams into the national limelight.
The running back out of Palmyra-Eagle High School missed much of his freshman season to injury. As a sophomore he helped lead the Warhawks to an unbeaten season. UWW’s playoff run to the 2005 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl included a stunning 44-41 win at defending national champion Linfield, Oregon. Linfield entered the playoffs a prohibitive favorite to repeat as national champions. On that chilly, rainy afternoon Beaver and his teammates simply refused to lose.
Talent? You bet, but it was the attitude that developed in that team that allowed the program to take that next step.
Beaver was not only talented at tailback but he was tough. Case in point… in a game played on October 16, 2006 vs. La Crosse at Perkins Stadium. Justin had rushed for 286 yards on 39 carries in the game. On his 39th carry he fractured his collar bone on a hit in front of the UWW bench. Despite a 45-10 UW-Whitewater win to keep the Hawks unbeaten many wondered if Whitewater’s chances of making it back to Salem, Virginia were still alive. After the game Justin told me he planned to be back, maybe as early as the playoff opener. I remember Pat Coleman of D3football.com writing there was no way that would happen.
The following week Beaver had a metal plate surgically placed in his injured shoulder. As promised, six weeks later vs. La Crosse in week-two of the playoffs Justin returned in a big way – like 227 yards rushing on 36 carries. It was plain old-fashioned desire and attitude that Beaver showed to his teammates.
Beaver also had a huge desire to play NFL football following his Warhawk career. Justin prepared relentlessly for his shot at professional football.
In his NFL Pro Day in Madison, Beaver ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds. That run would have placed him as the fifth-fastest running back at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine, His 3.96-second 20-yard shuttle time was better than any of the Combine backs. And his 24 bench reps would have put him in the top ten among running backs in that category. A group of NFL scouts at the McClain Facility that day couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. Among the scouts was Green Bay Packers’ general manager Ted Thompson.
Justin was hopeful of being drafted however it was not to be. The 2007 D3 Player of the Year was invited to the Packers’ post-draft rookie minicamp. Despite favorable media coverage and an impressive performance no free agent contract was offered.
Beaver ultimately signed a free agent contract with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League. The then reigning Division 3 Player of the Year caught both the media and fans eye but again the “business side” of professional football appeared again.
Just 10 days after I had traveled to Regina to do Warhawkfootball.com stories on Beaver’s bid to make the Rough Riders roster Justin was cut. He was later signed as a member of Saskatchewan’s 2008 practice squad.
The one thing that has stuck with me on that trip to Regina was Justin telling me that he was giving it his best shot and if he didn’t realize his dream of playing pro football it would then return back to Wisconsin to become a teacher. It is what he went to college to become.
Lets flash forward five years. Justin a successful teacher and coach and is happily married to Amber along with 1 year old Kaiden and “living the dream.
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