Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason is a prideful player and one of those guys who will answer a reporter's question straight-up.

Monday afternoon, still less than 24 hours after Sunday night's 34-28 overtime loss against the New York Giants, Beason was asked about New York's big night running the ball. The Giants rolled up 301 yards on the ground, the most by an opponent in Panthers history. Derrick Ward had 215 of them, an individual record for an opponent.

After blaming the Panthers' inability to stop the Giants' running game on sloppy play and poor communication, Beason was asked if the talents of Ward and backfield mate Brandon Jacobs might have had something to do with it.

“I hate you asked that question,” Beason said. “The politically correct thing to say is they're a great combination of running backs – really good backs. And they are. But based on the film, of the 300 yards, let's say, uh, 250 were on us. That's how I'll answer that question.”

(charlotteobserver.com)

7 proCanes will be heading to Hawaii in February for the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl. They are: Clinton Portis, Jon Beason, Jeff Feagles, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason has been fined $5,000 by the NFL for grabbing Detroit Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper by the facemask on a play that didn't result in a penalty.

Beason stopped Culpepper on his tying 2-point conversion attempt midway through the fourth quarter on Sunday. Replays showed Beason grabbed Culpepper by the facemask and his head twisted. But there was no flag and the Panthers went on to win 31-22.

A league spokesman said Friday night that Beason was fined for unnecessary roughness.

(ap.com)

Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason is having a monster season.

He leads the team with 102 tackles, was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month and ranks fifth in tackles in the league.

“I consider myself a beast,” Beason told Panthers.com, “so when I come out there, it’s like I’m ripping my shirt off, like the Hulk, turning into the beast.”

Every head coach wants to hear that from their middle linebacker, the leader of the defense and one of the toughest, grimiest and gritty positions in football.  

“I’m real proud of him,” says Panthers head coach John Fox. “He came in as a rookie last year, started for us a large majority of the season and I think he’s gotten better. He has tremendous football character. He has a lot of instinctive things that you can’t coach and that’s why I think he’s successful.”  

Selected by Carolina in the first round (25th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft, Beason started the first four games as a rookie at outside linebacker before moving to middle linebacker for an injured Dan Morgan for the final 12 games.

He became the first rookie in club history to lead the Panthers in tackles after producing a team record 160 in 2007, surpassing Micheal Barrow’s 158 in 1998. He also broke Lester Towns’ club rookie record of 103 in 2000.

Beason said he was shocked when he heard about the honor and did not know that the award existed. He attributes his teammates for earning the accolade.

“I got a lot of help from my teammates. Now I have something to strive for this month, so I’m just trying to keep up with Pep (Julius Peppers, who earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Raiders),” said Beason.

“I’m just leading by example. I try not to make any mistakes and play every down hard, that way you can earn the respect of your teammates.” Beason, who had 15 tackles against the Raiders two weeks ago, has 45 tackles in his last five games. He has earned the respect of his coaches and his teammates as a leader.

“He’s kind of an emotional leader. That’s what a (middle) linebacker is supposed to be. He fills the bill. He fills the bill well and does more than a good job at it. I think he has a bright future. He’s one of our defensive leaders that we can look to for that boost and for that play,” said weakside linebacker Na’il Diggs.

Beason feels the honor says more about the Panthers’ defense, which is ranked eighth, than about his own individual accomplishment.

“When you’re winning, everybody gets individual accolades. I’m just trying to keep it going,” said Beason.

Just like a beast would.

(thecharlottepost.com)

CHARLOTTE -- After a strong rookie season, it seemed that the only variable separating linebacker Jon Beason from individual accolades was time.

That time came Monday when he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October, giving him the first league-bestowed honor of his career and making him the Panthers' first player of the month on offense, defense or special teams since defensive end Julius Peppers was the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October 2006.

Beason is Carolina's leading tackler this season with 64 total stops.  Thirty-two of his tackles came in the last four games, which also saw him intercept a pair of passes -- one against Kansas City and another in the Panthers' 27-23 win over Arizona to close the month.

The pick against Arizona helped seal the award for Beason; it came at the Carolina 5-yard-line on a pass that skipped off the hands of Cardinals running back J.J. Arrington.  Beason promptly fielded the football and dashed 44 yards up the sideline to the Panthers' 49-yard-line.  The subsequent good field position meant that the Panthers needed just one first down to set John Kasay up in field-goal range; five plays later Kasay hit the 50-yard field goal that punctuated a swing of at least six points.

Beason is in elite company as one of just four Panthers to ever earn Defensive Player of the Month accolades.  The others are linebacker Sam Mills (Nov. 1995, Nov. 1996), Peppers (Oct. 2002, Nov. 2004, Oct. 2006) and defensive end Mike Rucker (Sept. 2002).

(panthers.com)

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis, Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason and St. Louis Rams kicker Josh Brown were chosen as the NFC's top players for the month of October.

Portis rushed for an NFL-best 575 yards during the month, averaging 143.8 yards per game, to capture the offensive award and help Washington to a 3-1 mark for October. He accumulated at least 120 yards in all four games and has a streak of five consecutive games with at least 120 yards, doing so for the second time in his career to join Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson as the only players to accomplish the feat twice.

Beason earned the defensive honor by leading the Panthers with 37 tackles and two interceptions in October. He notched 15 tackles in a game against Tampa Bay and last week returned an interception 44 yards to help the Panthers complete a 3-1 month with a 27-23 win over Arizona.

(sportsnetwork.com)

CHARLOTTE -- Jon Beason still looked winded and weary, and this was nearly an hour after his big play.

The Carolina Panthers linebacker got a chance to show some of his old offensive moves after a fourth-quarter interception, the turnover that stopped Arizona's last good chance to stay in the 27-23 loss.

It came on the eighth snap of the drive and after the Cardinals had driven 63 yards. But when the Kurt Warner pass skidded off the fingers of receiver Early Doucet and into Beason's palms, he had room to run. The best move came on Warner, who was juked to the ground effortlessly during Beason's 44-yard return.

Wide receiver Steve Smith was asked who had better open-field moves, him or the linebacker. He couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm not even going to respond to that question," Smith said, before sarcastically adding: "Beason, how about that."

"You know what, I told Steve, the first dude's going to get it," Beason said. "After that man, ... I wish I could get one early in a series so I'm not gassed. You tell Steve, let him play some defense and I'll give him the one-two step real quick."

(heraldonline.com)

Watch any Carolina Panthers game nowadays and it is impossible to miss Jon “The Beast” Beason.

At age 23, the Panthers' middle linebacker has turned into a defensive star in his second NFL season.

His sideline-to-sideline speed, coupled with an uncommon maturity and a superb work ethic, have made No.52 a Pro Bowl caliber linebacker and the soul of the Panthers' defense.

To many of his teammates, Beason has become the Jake Delhomme of the defense, tapping into the same emotional extremes as the Carolina quarterback. “In my mind, Jon is the future here,” says nine-year Panthers veteran linebacker Na'il Diggs.

Beason's play prompts many teammates to recall the pre-injury work of former Carolina linebacker Dan Morgan, who like Beason was once a standout at the University of Miami.

Beason says he would like to eventually be compared to both Morgan and to the late Sam Mills, a former linebacker and assistant coach for the Panthers. Mills, who died of cancer in 2005, was known throughout his career as a ferocious player and dignified man. He is the only former Panthers player inducted into the team's Hall of Honor.

How Beason got to this point is a story threaded with hope. It includes a resolute single mother who banned the words “stupid,” “dumb” and “can't” from her house. It includes the older brother who inspired Beason, the high school coach who mentored him and the father who rarely saw him. Bill Belichick makes a brief appearance, as do Beavis and Butt-Head.

They all helped shape Beason into the player and man he is today entering Carolina's 1p.m. home game against the New Orleans Saints, who boast one of the NFL's best offenses with quarterback Drew Brees and running back Reggie Bush.

The Panthers trust Beason as a defensive team captain. He tells his teammates that he loves them before big defensive stands. He makes Delhomme laugh with an on-field exuberance that reminds the quarterback of himself.

“Jon is a guy who wants to be great,” Delhomme says. “And anytime he makes a play, he does a bunny hop. That's fun when you have somebody with life like that.”

On the field, Beason can be “on the verge of being out of control,” Diggs says.

Off it, he prides himself on staying in control and doing things right the first time. He's a young man of contrasts – one who has embraced Charlotte and says he can feel the city hugging him back.

For 23 years, Terry Beason has been Jon's mother, protector and guiding force.

“My mom is my backbone,” Beason says. “You think I'm good? She's the real overachiever in our family.”

Terry Beason didn't know what her boys were going to do when they grew up, but she knew how she wanted to raise them. As a single mother in Liberty City, one of the poorest sections of Miami, she fought difficult odds.

“I decided early on that I was going to make sacrifices for them, and I haven't really stopped,” Terry Beason says. “My whole life has been devoted to Jonathan and Adrian. My success stories are my children.”

On most mornings, Terry Beason rose at 5 a.m. and began cooking dinner for that night. The boys would put it in the oven when they got home from school. That way Adrian – the elder brother by 16 months – and Jon could always have a hot supper.

Once Terry finished supper, she moved on to cooking breakfast – a real breakfast. She would no more have sent them out the door with a single piece of toast than she would have let them mutter “yeah” instead of “yes.”

Then she would ferry both boys 25 minutes away to a school in Pembroke Pines rather than the neighborhood school in Liberty City, which she had judged to be inferior.

From there, she would drive to her own job in downtown Miami. “Mom wouldn't eat lunch sometimes so we could have an extra dollar to get ice cream in elementary school,” Jon Beason says.

Says Terry: “We didn't have a lot, but we tried to double up on character and love.”

The three of them lived with Jon's grandparents in Liberty City for roughly the first decade of the boys' life. On most Saturday mornings, the Beasons went to the Barnes & Noble bookstore to read. Terry Beason banned the boys from speaking the neighborhood slang.

Adrian and Jon received some teasing for the way they talked from their friends in Liberty City.

“They'd say we were trying to ‘talk white,'” Adrian recalls. “But it wasn't that. We were trying to learn how to present ourselves. You wouldn't go to church in your beach clothes, would you?”

Says Panthers tight end Dante Rosario, one of Beason's closest friends: “A lot of people like to think football players are dumb brutes. Jon is a very intelligent person, and you get that right away from speaking to him.”

When Jon was 10, Terry Beason took a leap. She moved out of her parents' house and moved with the boys into a condominium complex in a better neighborhood.

The condo was unfurnished except for a tiny TV mounted underneath a kitchen cabinet.

Both Beason boys remember turning on the TV and standing there, amazed, as “Beavis and Butt-Head” flickered onto the screen. They had heard about the MTV show, but had never seen it because they had never lived in a house with cable.

Their mother was strict about what TV shows her children watched, but relented for a few moments when she saw how awe-struck her boys were.

Beason still remembers it as one of the greatest nights of his life.

Then Terry Beason listened to the show's language for a while, smiled and said: “Turn it off.”

An inspiring brother
Adrian and Jon Beason sprawled on their bunk beds in their new condominium one evening, watching the Atlanta Falcons play. Suddenly, a Falcons player named Deion Sanders intercepted a pass, made a dazzling move and high-stepped into the end zone.

Adrian was hooked. “It was like I had this fire in me,” Adrian remembers, laughing. “I ran through the whole house, then into my mama's room. I said, ‘Mom, I want to play football!' ”

Terry Beason's reply was quick. You're not playing football, she said. You might get hurt.

Ten seconds later, younger brother Jon came sprinting in, as well, declaring: “Mom, if you sign Adrian up for football, you have to sign me up, too!”

No, Terry Beason said firmly. Nobody's playing football.

Both boys burst into tears.

But Terry Beason was tough. A few tears didn't change her mind. “She was very overprotective then, and she's very overprotective now,” Jon says.

For three weeks, the boys alternately dreamed of football and pouted about not getting to play.

Then Jon found a book in the school library that contained the ammunition he needed. It contained a single paragraph on the benefits of team sports and how studies had shown kids who participated in them usually did better in school, too.

Jon brought the book home and showed it to his mother. “He pleaded his case very well,” she remembers.

And so she signed the boys up.

For years, they played on the same teams. Jon was determined to keep up with his older brother, so he always played up one age group.

“The moment I knew Jonathan was the deal,” his brother says, “came when we were down by a TD and they put him in at halfback to run the halfback pass. He was about 10 years old. He rolled out to the right, planted and threw the ball at least 50 yards. It went to another kid for a touchdown. That's when I knew: he was ahead of his time.”

Adrian Beason wasn't small for his age, but Jon was big for his. “They were practically twins,” their mother says, “except in school, where I started Adrian early so he was two grades ahead.”

They played high school football together, too. Adrian was the first brother to get a full scholarship, to Fordham as a defensive back. He played there and earned his business degree. Although his career was slowed by a knee injury, he did play a year of Arena Football in 2008 in Albany, N.Y.

“Football is over for me now, though,” Adrian says. “I'm ready to get onto the next stage of life.” At age 25, Adrian Beason Jr. is now studying in Miami to get a teaching certificate. He plans to teach and coach high school football in 2009.

An absent father
Adrian Beason Sr. has flitted in and out of his boys' lives. His relationship with his son Jon has been spotty, and the two rarely talk these days.

“My parents were married once,” Jon Beason says. “They tried to make it work when I was really young, but it never got to the point of moving in together again. When I was about age 6 or 7, they just said, ‘That's it.'”

Adrian Beason Sr. has worked for years as a longshoreman at the Port of Miami, helping load and unload cruise ships. “We saw him about once every four to six months,” Adrian Jr. says. “When we saw him, it was more like he was one of the boys. He'd throw us some passes to us or something.”

Both Beason brothers say they didn't realize they were missing anything until they were older. But now Jon sees fathers who are close to their sons and longs for a relationship he never really had.

Sometimes, in the aftermath of a Panthers game, Jon Beason glances over at reserve linebacker Adam Seward visiting with his own parents. Adam Seward's father is a former college football player and coach.

“I watch them,” Beason says. “They tell funny stories to each other. His dad is really involved in how he does. That'd be nice, you know? I don't regret it. I'm stronger for it. But it would be nice to have both your mom and dad meet up with you after a game.”

A caring coach
Beason's life was deeply influenced by Mark Guandolo, his high school coach.

“I consider Jon a son,” Guandolo says. “I get choked up just talking about him.”

Guandolo then coached the private high school in the Fort Lauderdale area that offered Beason a scholarship in ninth grade. Beason played fullback and strong safety for Guandolo, never leaving the field and picking up his “Beast” nickname.

“Jon was our captain and our team leader,” Guandolo says. “He wanted to win so bad. That was always his motivation.”

In Beason's first season, before Guandolo came, Chaminade-Madonna was 2-8. By his senior year, the team was 14-0 with 11 shutouts entering the 2002 state championship game. They lost it, 6-0, and Beason has never quite gotten over it.

“It still eats at Jon,” Guandolo says. “He was devastated when it happened.”

Chaminade-Madonna would win the state championship the next season, without Beason. That eats at him, too, as does the fact that the University of Miami never made the national championship game when he played there.

Both Adrian and Jon Beason played for Guandolo. “He's just a great, great man,” Jon says. “He transforms kids. Stresses education. Lays down the law. And works you really hard.”

After one of Guandolo's intense practices, most of the players would collapse on the ground, aching and spent. Beason would go the extra mile, literally – running one final mile after practice concluded.

“He was a true beast in the way he prepared himself,” Guandolo says. “The nickname has always fit.”

The day after Beason signed a scholarship to Miami, he delivered a personal thank-you letter to members of the school's faculty and administration. “He never forgot anybody,” Guandolo says. “I'm sure his mother had something to do with those letters, but still. You don't see that much. He's special.”

A drink of water
Recruited as an “athlete,” Beason briefly played as a fullback at Miami, then switched to linebacker, where he found his niche. By the end of his redshirt junior year, he was a sure first-round pick. He promised his mother he would return to get his degree, then declared a year early for the NFL draft.

In the flurry of private workouts that followed, Beason developed a liking for several teams, including Carolina and the New York Giants, and a dislike for a couple of others. One of the teams he didn't admire was New England. Beason felt the Patriots weren't loyal enough to their veterans; plus he didn't like the weather and didn't want to play in coach Bill Belichick's 3-4 defensive scheme.

Belichick came to Miami to work out safety Brandon Meriweather and Beason individually. From other former Hurricanes, Beason knew that Belichick would concoct a difficult workout.

“So he was just trying to kill us,” Beason remembers. It was then that Beason tried to gently sabotage his chances with New England.

Remembers Beason: “I said, ‘You know what, Coach? I need some water.' I knew he wouldn't like it. Brandon was like, ‘C'mon, Beast!' But I stopped and got some water.”

On Draft Day, 2007, New England picked 24th, right in front of Carolina after the Panthers traded down. Both Meriweather and Beason were still available. New England picked Meriweather (now a backup safety).

That left Carolina, at No.25, to take Beason. When his name scrolled across the TV screen, Beason felt a part of the NFL for the first time. “I didn't think I would cry,” Beason says. “But I cried, man. I cried like a baby.”

‘A pro bowl linebacker'
Beason irritated some of his veteran teammates with an eight-day contract holdout at his first training camp in 2007. Says Diggs: “I had a misconception. Because of the holdout, I thought he was one of those prima donna guys. Then I met him.”

Diggs and Beason bonded quickly – they now live in houses next door to each other. “He had his head on right when he got here,” Diggs says of Beason. “He played his butt off in that first camp, and he's still playing his butt off now.”

Beason began his rookie year starting as an outside linebacker, taking the injured Diggs' spot. When middle linebacker Morgan got hurt early in the season, the Panthers tried the rookie in the crucial spot.

Beason learned the new position quicker than anyone could have imagined. He was faster in pads than he was on a track. At 6 feet even, he wasn't as tall as the prototype middle linebacker. But Mills – the best inside linebacker the Panthers have ever had – was only 5-9. And, like Mills, Beason seemed to never get caught out of position.

By the end of the Panthers' disappointing 2007 season, Beason had become the bright spot. He was runner-up for NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year to San Francisco's Patrick Willis.

As a rookie, Beason set a Panthers team record for tackles. He is on pace to break it this season. “Beason is a Pro Bowl linebacker right now if you ask me,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden says. “He's their heart and soul.”

Beason stays on the field for every defensive snap. Adept against both run and pass, his goal is to eliminate his mistakes completely.

What motivates Beason?

He wants to win the championship he never did in high school or college. He would like to be a consistent Pro Bowler. He would like to serve as a role model for children. And he wants to set down deep roots in Charlotte. He wants to be gentle away from the game and beastly while playing it.

“I like to be a ‘moment' guy,” Beason says. “People say things sometimes and it's a lot of hot air. I want to be in the moment – always. To be spontaneous. To enjoy what I'm doing right then.

“I want what I say to mean something.

“And I want my life to mean something.”

(charlotteobserver.com)

There were very high expectations for Beason coming into this season. Maybe a little too high. It was certainly reasonable to expect Beason to be an elite fantasy linebacker. He had 104 solo tackles as a rookie, 77 of them over the 11 games after he moved to the MIKE. But while Beason has improved going from Year 1 to Year 2, his numbers have suffered the negative consequences of Carolina's improved offense. With the Panthers controlling the ball more effectively because of their improved running game, that has translated into fewer seconds on the field for Beason. And Carolina is no longer a lock to fall behind like last season, when David Carr was imitating a professional quarterback for a good chunk of the year. Last season, teams were consistently running the ball in the second half against the Panthers, and often running right into Beason. So while another 100-tackle season is likely (Beason has 27 through four games), a jump to that Patrick Willis-stratosphere is unlikely.

(cnnsi.com)

Three games into his second season, Panthers LB Jon Beason shows no signs of slowing down in his race to become a star.

Beason is easily the team leader in tackles with 34, 21 of them solo, according to team statistics. He's also recovered a fumble and defensed a pass.

Behind him is Thomas Davis, who is having an impact after shifting from strongside to weakside LB. He has 28 tackles. Safety Chris Harris is third (19 tackles), followed by LB Na'il Diggs (17). CB Chris Gamble and S Charles Godfrey have 16 each.

DE Julius Peppers leads Carolina with five quarterback pressures so far, but no Panther has more than one sack. Four (Peppers, Damione Lewis, Godfrey and Diggs)are tied with one apiece.

(blogs.charlotte.com)

On fourth-and-1, the Panthers sniffed out an inside run and stuffed fullback Jason McKie's run up the middle at midfield. That secured Carolina's win as Jake Delhomme was able to take a knee and run out the clock.

Prior to that play, middle linebacker Jon Beason huddled everyone together and said, "I'm going to give everything I've got for you and you do it for me. Guys went out and responded, and it was just an effort play - mano y mano."

It was the underappreciated nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu who broke up the play, getting a good push inside. Na'il Diggs and Julius Peppers both swarmed in to finish up, tackling McKie behind the line of scrimmage.

"Big Maake made the play," Beason said. "I went over and hugged him and told him I loved him. I get a little emotional when we win. Especially when guys make plays, I feed off of it."

(gastongazette.com)

[Editor’s note:  Panthers linebacker Jon Beason will share thoughts with us each week via text message.  Beason was a first-round pick in 2007, and has started every game since arriving.  We communicated with him after the Panthers beat the Chargers, 26-24, on a last-second touchdown pass to Dante Rosario.] 

Q:  How did you feel when the ball was in the air on the last play?
A:  I just told myself to keep faith in my teammates and in God.  I knew we played well enough to win and a miracle was possible.

Q:  What did you say to Dante Rosario after he made the catch?
A:  I told him “you saved me.”  I was very emotional because I missed the tackle on LT on a third-down run that would have forced the Chargers to kick a field goal.  Had we lost I would’ve blamed myself.

Q:  Do you think the Chargers took you guys lightly?
A:  I don’t think that’s possible based on our preseason performance from a first-team standpoint. 

Q:  Did Shawne Merriman seem to be limited?
A:  Not sure but I know going into it we didn’t want to play soft on him because he’s hurt.  I think our offense did a great job moving the ball on one of the top defenses in the league.  I’m sure our offense will build on it.

Q:  Have you talked to Steve Smith?  Is he itching to get back?
A:  He’s proud of our team and ready to come back.  He wants to be part of it, he’s one of our leaders and we’re that much better with him on the field.

(profootballtalk.com)

It’s not uncommon for the most talented University of Miami linebackers to be compared with former alums from the school known for producing greats at the position.

Ray Lewis, Dan Morgan and Jonathan Vilma are just a few the former Hurricanes who made a significant mark in the NFL.

But being compared to Martin Luther King, Jr. could well have been a first (and last) when it comes to singling out a football player.

Ken Lucas’ analogy was quite a testament to Jon Beason’s power of personality. Beason delivered a heartfelt pre-game address to the Panthers prior to last season’s final home game against Dallas.

“It was one of those Martin Luther King type of speeches,” Lucas said. “It had that type of feel. It was during a time when things were hard and we weren’t playing the way we expected. Our record wasn’t what we wanted, and it was about finishing the season strong.

“I’ve probably never heard a speech like that from a coach or player before. He’s just a natural leader.”

It wasn’t like Beason felt a sudden urge to inspire his teammates as he was, after all, only a rookie. He was asked to speak by head coach John Fox in one of the rare instances Fox didn’t call on a veteran to fire up the squad.

“For him to ask me, I was moved by it,” Beason said. “But I knew I had kind of arrived. As a rookie, you may have something to say, but you don’t say it because it’s not really your team, it’s not your place. It was an opportunity to let my teammates know how I feel about the game and it was just from the heart.”

It’s obvious to anybody who watched Beason play the amount of passion he has for football. The team’s first-round draft choice was initially insurance for injury-prone Dan Morgan, but when Morgan was again lost for the season, Beason flourished.

He began the year as the first Panthers linebacker to start as a rookie since Morgan in 2001, playing alongside the vet at outside linebacker. Once Morgan went down, Beason assumed the middle spot.

“(The middle) is definitely a comfort level,” Beason said. “You can go sideline to sideline, and you’re expected to make a play. There’s definitely a mystique about that position. You go out there with a swagger and almost a cockiness that you’re the man.”

He not only became the first rookie to lead Carolina in tackles, but his 160 was a team record as he led or tied for the team-high in tackles in 13 of 16 games. Following through on his own words, Beason had a season-high 17 with a forced fumble against Dallas.

The 6-foot, 237-pound Beason is regularly credited, along with safety Chris Harris, for bringing a level of joy and intensity to playing that uplifts the team as a whole.

“He just brings a certain type of energy to the defense,” quarterback Jake Delhomme said.

In just his second season, Beason has claimed ownership of that defense, something he earned both by his play and his abundant enthusiasm. With the retirements the past two years of long-standing leaders Mike Minter and Mike Rucker, coupled with the low-key demeanor of the team’s biggest star Julius Peppers, the Panthers need all Beason can give physically and verbally.

“I’m not one to bite my tongue,” Beason said. “I try not to be a hypocrite. I make sure I take care of home before I open my mouth. I think leading by example is the key. This year I want to do my job, do it well, and hopefully the defense follows me.”

(goupstate.com)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- From his vantage point on the sideline in the middle of last season, Jake Delhomme examined the Carolina Panthers' defense.

It didn't take the injured quarterback long to come to a conclusion.

"We needed a leader on defense," Delhomme said. "Jon Beason had to be that leader."

A rookie who missed the first eight days of training camp in a contract holdout, Beason might have seemed like an unlikely candidate to be a leader. He opened the season at outside linebacker and slid into the middle in early October after Dan Morgan suffered yet another injury that ended yet another season.

"At that point, I was just going along and trying to feel my way," Beason said. "I was just trying to learn the defense and, because I was a rookie, I didn't want to step on anybody's toes."

It was about that time when Delhomme, who went down with an elbow injury in Week 3, threw the leadership job at Beason's feet. Carolina's offense was about to crumble without Delhomme, but the quarterback wasn't going to let the defense do the same.

Veteran defensive end Mike Rucker had plenty of respect in the locker room, but his career was coming to an end. Supremely talented defensive end Julius Peppers was anointed a leader by owner Jerry Richardson before last season, but he's one of the most shy and quiet players in the NFL, and his personality will prevent him from ever being a vocal leader.

That's why Delhomme stepped in and pulled Beason aside.

"I told him several times, and I think other people did, too, 'Jon, you have to be the leader. Don't worry about being a rookie. This is your defense,'" Delhomme said. "Julius is Julius. He's a quiet guy, and there's nothing wrong with that. But Jon is just a natural-born leader all the way around."

Beason, Delhomme and the rest of the Panthers can't pinpoint the exact moment Beason became the leader of the defense, but everyone agrees it happened. That emergence helped save Carolina's season from complete disaster as the offense struggled mightily with Vinny Testaverde, David Carr and undrafted rookie Matt Moore trying fruitlessly to fill Delhomme's shoes.

Beason and the defense kept the team respectable and carried the Panthers to a 7-9 finish. Along the way, Beason produced a franchise-record 160 tackles and led or tied for the team lead in tackles in 13 games.

"When you consider the fact Jon missed a big chunk of camp and started the season on the outside, that makes it even more incredible what he did last year," coach John Fox said. "He's been through it once now and he's been through this entire offseason working in the middle, so we're expecting more big things from him."

So is everyone else.

"Beason's going to be a Pro Bowler very soon," another NFC head coach said. "The guy has all the tools. He and [San Francisco's] Patrick Willis [another 2007 first-round pick] are going to be the next dominant linebackers."

Beason might be the rising star in the NFC South, and he must be a central figure if the Panthers are going to get back to the kind of hard-nosed, dominant defense they played earlier in Fox's tenure.

"I don't mind being a leader," Beason said. "In fact, I kind of like it. I think I lead by example more than anything. But I don't mind getting in a guy's face if he needs to step up, and I'll feel more comfortable doing that this year."

That's what the Panthers want -- and need. In Beason, whom they took with the 25th pick in last year's draft, they believe they have a leader. They also believe they have a very complete linebacker. Beason is a sideline-to-sideline player against the run and also can drop into pass coverage when needed.

The Panthers always believed they had that kind of linebacker in Morgan, a first-round pick in 2001, but chronic injuries prevented Morgan from ever playing a full season and reaching his potential.

In Beason, though, the Panthers believe they have a linebacker who is as good as Morgan could have been if he had stayed healthy. It's kind of ironic because Beason and Morgan both went to the University of Miami and Beason points to Morgan as his mentor.

"Dan became my friend when he came back to Miami to work out before my sophomore year," Beason said. "When I came here, there was no jealousy from Dan. He showed me the ropes from the first day."

Little did Morgan know Beason would take his place before long. Morgan went down with an injury in the third game last season, and Beason slid into the middle in Week 5.

"When Dan got hurt, he still talked me through everything with the defense," Beason said.

Beason played so well that it made the decision easier for the Panthers to cut ties with Morgan after last season. He signed with New Orleans but then elected to retire in May.

"Dan's still one of my best friends," Beason said. "I've called him several times during training camp just to ask questions. It's a bond that all the Miami linebackers have."

The bond with Morgan has helped get Beason this far. But the bond he started building with the rest of the defense last year is why he'll be counted on even more as a team leader this season.

Several teammates said Beason has been even more vocal and forceful this training camp, and the rest of the defense is following his lead.

"Jon's a great football player and a fiery, excitable kind of guy," Delhomme said. "Every team needs a few guys like that. Jon's going to put a hit on running backs from other teams when he tackles them. But he also puts a hit on his own teammates. If you make a good play, you've got to look out for Jon because he's going to come up and jump on you because that's the kind of guy he is."

(espn.com)

CHARLOTTE -- The Carolina Panthers trimmed their roster by five players Monday, one day ahead of the NFL's mandatory cut down day, where all rosters must stand at 75.

The Panthers said goodbye to cornerback Curtis Deloatch, defensive end Casper Brinkley, tight end Chris Conklin and quarterback Lester Ricard. The fifth cut was receiver Jason Carter, who had been having a huge camp for the team but suffered a torn ACL during the fourth quarter of Saturday night's 47-3 win against Washington.

The Panthers placed him on injured reserve, effectively ending his season. Carter was trying to lock up a receiver spot or perhaps a kick returning job.

Defensively, the Panthers were quite good as well Saturday, recording five sacks. The unit had 23 all of last season, worst in the NFL.

Julius Peppers has looked more and more like his old self, the linebackers have been better than average, and the secondary was hardly noticed against the Redskins, thanks to the front 7.

Jon Beason says he was pleased with the play of the entire unit.

“I’m just happy it was a group effort, you know, offense, defense, special teams, everybody just went out and played hard and did their jobs, executed, and just had fun,” the second-year linebacker said.

The Panthers close out the preseason Thursday against Pittsburgh and begin the regular season on Sept. 7 in San Diego.

(news14.com)

After missing last Saturday's game with an ankle injury, Jon Beason was back at practice in time for Monday morning's work and will play in Philadelphia, Fox said.  But in his absence, the Panthers were reminded of the quality of their depth at the position -- in the form of a stellar performance from Adam Seward, who shared a sack with safety Charles Godfrey, intercepted a pass and tackled Colts running back Joseph Addai for a four-yard loss. 

(panthers.com)

Linebacker Jon Beason will likely miss Saturday night’s preseason opener against Indianapolis.  Beason injured his ankle during Monday’s practice and is listed as day-to-day.  Beason told reporters he would probable play if this were a regular-season game. 


(panthersgab.com)

SPARTANBURG, S.C.: When the Carolina Panthers opened training camp last year, rookie Jon Beason skipped workouts in a contract dispute, safety Chris Harris played for the Chicago Bears and Damione Lewis was a backup defensive tackle.

When the team took the field for Tuesday's workout, the three players were clearly the leaders at their position, barking instructions, encouraging teammates and leading drills.

After the retirement of veterans Mike Minter, Mike Rucker and Dan Morgan in the past 12 months, Beason, Harris and Lewis have become the face of Carolina's new-look, young defense.

"We're the most vocal guys, but the defense is really new," Beason said Tuesday. "There are a lot of new faces. I think we enjoy each other, we trust each other and we know we could be as good as we want to. I think everyone has taken that challenge."

The 23-year-old Beason overcame missing the first eight days of camp last year to set a team-record 160 tackles. Moving to middle linebacker after Morgan's season-ending Achilles' tendon injury, he quickly earned the respect of his teammates. His leadership role was cemented late in the season when coach John Fox asked him to give the pregame speech before a game against Dallas.

Beason responded with a stirring talk about his love for the game and the significance of facing the storied Cowboys.

"Since I have been in the league, and that's seven years, he gave a speech from a player or a coach I have never heard before," cornerback Ken Lucas said. "It's one of those Martin Luther King Jr. type of speeches when he got done. It had that feel. Everybody looked at each other like man, that was a powerful speech. He gives that type of energy. He's a natural leader."

The 30-year-old Lewis, a former first-round pick of St. Louis, became a starter when the Panthers traded three-time Pro Bowl pick Kris Jenkins in February. Lewis, whose three sacks topped the dismal 2007 team, has clearly been the most vocal on the defensive line.

"You hear a lot more enthusiasm and guys being a lot more energetic on the field," Lewis said. "Guys are talking more. I think guys are relaxing."

The transformation of the defense comes after the Panthers lost a combined 26 years of experience with the departures of Minter, Rucker and Morgan. Beason said it was clear they left a leadership void.

"This year I want to do my job, do it well and lead by example," Beason said. "Hopefully, the defense follows me."

With a much younger lineup, Fox has simplified the defense, allowing players to act more on instinct.

"You've got to have guys step in," Fox said. "That's the landscape in this league now. There is just more turnover. Back a long time ago, you had guys for their whole careers, and it's a little bit more of a junior college-college rotation now as far as people coming through with all of the changes in free agency.

"So it makes it a little bit more difficult. But you need to find those guys, identify them as part of your evaluation and develop them."

(iht.com)

Penn State might be known as Linebacker U, but Miami has also had its share of stars at that position. And the Carolina Panthers' Jon Beason is taking advantage of the part he's played in that Hurricanes lineage.

Beason, the Panthers' second-year middle linebacker and one of the NFL's rising stars at that position, said Tuesday he stays in touch and talks football with other former Miami linebackers, most notably Ray Lewis and former Panther Dan Morgan.

Beason said he'd love to see Morgan, who retired this year after a career plagued by concussions, return.

"He is so far beyond, so much better than everybody else with speed, knowledge, being athletic -- he could take three years off and still be better than anybody else," Beason said.

Beason said he spoke with Morgan on Monday and was planning on talking to him again Tuesday afternoon. "He's doing great," said Beason. "He wants to know what's going on. That's understandable. If he's injured or healthy, he'd want to be with us here right now."

The Panthers practice once today, at 3:10 p.m. We'll have more updates after that.

(blogs.charlotte.com)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Jon Beason is no longer a rookie, but this part of training camp is all new to him.

Beason was one of the early arrivals yesterday as members of the Carolina Panthers checked into their dorm rooms at Wofford College for the start of training camp.

Beason wasn't around for Day One last year.

He didn't join the team until the second week of training camp because of a contract dispute, eventually missing eight days and 11 practices before signing and joining the team.

Maybe that's why he was so eager to get checked in early yesterday.

"I feel like a rookie, missing eight days, 11 practices," Beason said. "So it's going to be pretty new to me having to stay the full camp this year. I'm excited, happy to be here."

Yesterday was a day the Panthers used to settle in, take physical exams and have meetings. They'll start two-a-day practices this morning on the Wofford practice field. Their first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 9 against Indianapolis at Bank of America Stadium.

Beason, a 6-0, 237-pound middle linebacker, was the team's first-round draft choice last season, taken with the 25th pick. He became the second-longest holdout in the NFL last year before signing a five-year, $12.5 million deal that included a $3.2 million signing bonus. His agent, Michael Huyghue, eventually relented on a second-year option bonus that the Panthers refused to give.

Beason said yesterday that he's glad those days are behind him.

"It was tough," he said.

"As a player, you just want to play. The business aspect is new for a rookie. You don't know about the contract stuff and what your agent is telling you, so you just have to have confidence in them.

"Then you come in late and they had 30 different defenses already in. I had to stay late and try to get caught up at once."

Beason overcame the late arrival in training camp and was a starter at weak-side linebacker in time for the regular-season opener. He moved to middle linebacker on a full-time basis in the fifth game, after Dan Morgan was lost for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury. And by season's end, he had emerged as the Panthers' most productive defensive player.

He finished the season with a franchise-record 160 tackles, and became the first rookie in franchise history to lead the team in tackles. He had a season-high 17 tackles against Dallas in the next-to-last game, then closed out with 14 tackles at New Orleans in the season finale.
Beason said he expects to be even more productive this season.

"I didn't really become a full-time starter until Week 5, I think," Beason said. "Doing it again shouldn't be as hard, especially with how good our defense is this year. It's going to be hard for guys to key on me when I have other guys around me playing well. And it's different because there's a comfort level. I'm laid back, no jitters, not nervous at all."

He's excited about the linebacker corps. Veterans Na'il Diggs and Thomas Davis, who started at the weak-side and strong-side linebacker spots after Beason moved to the middle, return. And, the team signed free agent Landon Johnson, a former starter in Cincinnati, and drafted Penn State's Dan Connor in the third round.

"That's definitely one of our strong suits," Beason said. "If anybody, God forbid, gets hurt, we can just rotate guys. The second team is just as good as the first team."

Beason is clearly the head of the corps, even if he is just in his second season.

"I think I've earned the right to be a leader," he said. "I think the guys on the defense respect me. So I'm just going to have to live up to last year's expectations and this year's expectations."

(journalnow.com)

Q. Who was a key mentor or motivator in your life?
My mother for strength and motivation. Jerry Rice for his desire to be the best and his work ethic.

Q. What's your favorite hobby away from football?
Just relaxing to a suspense or drama on Blu-ray.

Q. What are you afraid of?
Failure.

Q. What television show won't you miss or always record?
“America's Best Dance Crew.”

Q. What's your guilty pleasure?
Procrastination.

Q. What's your favorite vacation spot?
Las Vegas.

Q. What other position would you love to play?
Safety or running back.

Q. What's your ideal post-football career?
Mentor or motivational speaker.

Q. Who was your sports hero growing up?
Jerry Rice, considered the greatest.

Q. What did you buy with your first NFL paycheck?
A KitKat bar.

(charlotte.com)

Meanwhile, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma reached out to freshmen Arthur Brown and Sean Spence, offering his cellphone number and mentoring (Panthers linebacker Jon Beason did, too). Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork reached out to Marcus Forston. Aldarius Johnson said he cultivated a friendship with Andre Johnson and has spoken with Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss.

UM alumni take losing so hard that Beason was ''in tears'' during games last year. Vilma said last winter that what troubled him in recent years is ``guys not improving year to year. You can't say it's all the talent.''

But after working out with Canes players at 7 a.m. this summer and watching several (such as Allen Bailey) improve this spring, Vilma -- like others -- is encouraged: ``You see everyone wanting to improve.''

(miamiherald.com)

10. Jon Beason, Carolina Panthers: It didn't take long for Carolina's 2007 first-round pick to shift from the weak side to the middle, but it'll probably take much longer for anyone to move him out of that spot. Beason ranked third in the league in total tackles last season and tied for second in solo stops. He made eight or more solo tackles in a game eight times and got his hands on seven passes, picking off one. Losing Kris Jenkins and Mike Rucker up front might leave more blockers for Beason to sift through, but he has the tools to remain among the league's tackle leaders. 

12. Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans Saints: Perhaps no Jet was as negatively affected by the hiring of head coach Eric Mangini as much as Vilma. At 230 pounds, Vilma is the lightest starting middle linebacker in the league (at least until rookie Jordon Dizon officially enters the lineup), and that fact is even more pronounced in a 3-4 defense. Such a scheme creates more traffic in the middle and allows more guards to get to the linebacker level. Vilma had trouble moving through the extra bodies to make his usual number of plays. As if that weren't bad enough, knee surgery ended his 2007 at midyear. If his knee is ready and holds up this year in the Saints' 4-3 scheme, Vilma — who led the league in tackles in 2005 — could outperform this ranking. 

13. D.J. Williams, Denver Broncos: It has to be kind of tough being D.J. Williams. You come into the league and perform quite well as a rookie starter on the weak side. So, of course, the team brings back Ian Gold and shifts you to the strong side. Two years later, the team pulls the plug on middle starter Al Wilson and decides that you'd fit in well there. Despite some natural confusion in the new role, you rank second in the league in tackles in 2007. Obviously, it's then time for you to return to the weak side. Williams' new old role could well be the best spot for him. Although he's bound to face fewer tackle chances than in the middle, he could make more big plays (sacks, interceptions). At the very least, maybe he can finally settle into one role. 

25. Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens: This might seem low on the list for Lewis, but the Ravens leader has played a full 16-game schedule just once in the past six seasons. At 33, Lewis can still get it done, though. His solo tackles were on pace for the low-to-mid 90s in each of the past two seasons, had he not missed two games in each. He's just a year removed from a career-high five sacks and has picked off two passes in two straight years. Nevertheless, durability is a worthwhile concern, as is the fact that he made five or fewer solo tackles in eight of 14 games in 2007. 

After missing out on his goal last year as a rookie, Jon Beason is raising the bar.

Beason, the Carolina Panthers middle linebacker, wanted to be NFL defensive rookie of the year. He finished second to San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis, although Beason set a Panthers record for tackles in a season with 160.

“I think (Willis) did enough to earn the award,” Beason said after a summer school session at Bank of America Stadium. “I didn’t move into (middle linebacker) until Week 5, so I kind of got a late start. I think it’ll be interesting to see what happens this year.” The goals have changed. Last year, Beason was looking for playing time. Now, he’s focused on team accomplishments, specifically earning a playoff berth.

“Last year (the goal) was rookie of the year, coming in and earning a starting job,” he said. “This year my personal goal is for us to go deep into the playoffs. Anything else will work itself out.”

Beason worked out nicely at middle linebacker for Carolina after Dan Morgan went down with a season-ending Achilles injury. Beason, moved over from the outside, led Carolina in tackles and emerged as the Panthers’ best defender. His success led the Panthers to cut Morgan, who has since retired.

“Coming in, I think you have to have that mindset that you’re going to be successful,” Beason said. “I had no idea I could play the (middle) or play as well as I did. I just went out and gave effort and it worked but I’m kind of happy it happened.”

Beason is more than effort. He calls the defensive signals and impressed coaches with his ability to anticipate where the opposing offense is going. Even after missing a week of training camp while hammering out his contract didn’t slow Beason’s progress.

“Jon is a real instinctive guy for a young player,” Panthers head coach John Fox said. “He was that way in college and he played at a high level at the college level. Last year he came in and was about a week late getting into camp and then was playing outside linebacker early and when Dan got hurt we moved him to the middle. I think he got better every week and he looks that much better this year.”

Said Beason: “Any good player will tell you it’s all about what you know before the snap. If you can steal a play here and there, they add up, so your overall knowledge of the game will enable you to make more plays.”

Beason is applying the cerebral approach to his second year of summer school, where he’s passing on what he’s learned to newcomers like rookie Dan Connor, who is expected to compete for playing time in what’s become a loaded linebacker corps.

“Now it’s just a breeze,” Beason said. “You know the system so you just come out here knowing it versus trying to learn it on the run. Things are flying for rookies right now and I feel bad for them, but at the same time I’m happy I’m in my position.”

And with position comes stature. Beason’s the acknowledged leader of a defense that’s been revamped up front. His expanded role is to get in position to make plays as well as help his teammates succeed.

“Last year I just wanted to come in and earn the respect of the older guys,” Beason said. “There are 11 guys on the field and all you have to do is make the play when it’s your turn to make it. Last year I wound up making more than I thought I would. All in all, it’s a lot of fun and my teammates respect me, and that’s the biggest thing.”

(thecharlottepost.com)

The Carolina Panthers first day of organized team activities commenced on Wednesday, and linebacker Jon Beason was back on the field participating fully, according to the Rock Hill Herald.

Our View: Beason had missed an earlier mini-camp after undergoing wrist surgery a few weeks ago. It was considered a minor procedure, and his participation in organized team activities is obviously a positive development in his recovery.

(rototimes.com)

The Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler believes "there's no way" the Panthers are moving Jon Beason out of middle linebacker.

There has been speculation on the national level that the Panthers would start rookie third rounder Dan Connor on the inside and move Beason back outside. Fowler says Connor isn't even likely to start at this point.

(rotoworld.com)

Middle linebacker Jon Beason, who led the team with 160 tackles last season, had his arm in a sling on Friday following surgery to repair a tendon in his wrist. The surgery is considered minor and he should be back on the field in June as well, Fox said.
 
"It kind of started bothering me when I was working out, so I got the mri, and they said I needed to go ahead and get it cleaned out," Beason said. "I want to play pain-free next year and play all of them, so I'd rather do it now in the offseason."
 
Beason said he broke the same wrist when he was 10 years old.
 
"You never know when stuff comes back," he said. "This is a funny story. I used to be a quarterback, we were scrimmaging, and they called an all-out blitz. I had like three of them on my back. I was carrying them, and when I fell my hand was underneath me. It was a hairline fracture, nothing bad."

(gastongazette.com)

Cat Crave:  What kind of treatment did you receive from your teammates as a rookie?

Jon:  When you come in as a rookie you have to earn your respect and the way that I performed off the bat the vets really respected it.  It made my transition a whole lot easier.

Cat Crave:  You lit up the NFL last year.  Do you see yourself getting even better as you get more experience?

Jon:  With it being my first year at the mike LB position the more experience that I get the better.  Especially with everyone talking about the sophomore slump, it makes me work harder to make sure it doesn’t happen to me.

Cat Crave:  Who or what do you credit for helping you reach the NFL?

Jon:  First off, my mom instilling good values in me like hard work, not quitting and an attitude of anything I do to give 100%.  Secondly, my HS coach Mark Guandolo came into my life at an important time.  At that time, football was fun and he taught me how to work, train and how to prepare to be successful.

Cat Crave:  Is there anyone on the team that you hate to face in practice everyday?

Jon:  I hate going against anyone that doesn’t give it there all.

Cat Crave:  Do you have any special gameday routines to help get you up for the game?

Jon:  Before my sophomore year of college I used to be really uptight and private but then I learned to be a lot looser and joke a little and made me looser on the field and allowed to move around better.

Cat Crave:  What would you want to be doing with your life if you weren’t involved with football?

Jon:  Tough one, because football was always my goal.  My mom used to dress us up for Halloween as doctors when we were younger and then I learned you couldn’t save everyone so i gave it up.

Cat Crave:  What other athletes in any sport do you admire?

Jon:  Jerry Rice was my favorite player growing up (his work ethic, attitude and how he was represented off the field) and Michael Jordan because of how consistent he was in being a good player game after game.  Every game was like the finals for him.

Cat Crave:  Which players on the team helped make your transition to the NFL easier?

Jon:  Dan Morgan because he was a friend and I knew I could trust him.

Cat Crave:  How do you keep yourself in shape during the offseason?

Jon:  I usually gave myself two weeks off but I was told to take a little more this year.  I always want to make sure that nobody is doing anymore than me out there.

Cat Crave:  What songs are most popular on your iPod now?

Jon:  Any Lil’ Wayne song, I’m a big R&B guy, Alicia Keys and of course my boy Fat Joe.  And also Rick Ross

(catcrave.com)

CHARLOTTE -- Not only does Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason look forward to hearing voices in his head, he's wishing he heard them a year ago.

The precocious middle linebacker -- thrust into the starting lineup in the responsibility spot earlier than anyone planned last year --said he was very much in favor of the just-passed resolution allowing a radio receiver in a defensive player's helmet to protect the signal-calling process.

There's been no official announcement that he's going to be the one hearing defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac, but since he calls the signals, it's a safe assumption he'll get the first one. Teams are allowed two, although only one can be on the field at a time. Another safe bet would be that safety Chris Harris would likely have a backup helmet with the receiver at the ready if anything happened to Beason, since it's needed on a player who's sure to be on the field for every snap in every defensive package.

"Who knows who the lucky guy might be?" Beason laughed, knowing full well it's coming his way. "It's good that that one passed, because as we found out last year, you don't know who might be watching."

The measure had been discussed in recent years, but gained momentum with New England's "Spygate" controversy.

Having signals spoken to him will be a relief for Beason, who was thrown into the deep end of the pool his rookie year when Dan Morgan was injured in Week 3.

That meant he got the wristband full of defensive codes, and he had to decipher the hand signals coming from Trgovac on the sideline, refer to his notes and communicate the calls to his teammates, all while the play clock was running and he was learning his own responsibilities.

On a basic play, he had to make at least three calls, setting the defensive front, the coverage and any checks that might need to be made at the line of scrimmage. It was a lot to do in a little time for a rookie, and he said several teams (notably Seattle) went hurry-up or shifted alignments at the line to try to confuse him.

"Being a rookie, and trying to get a defense full of vets and All-Pros lined up, it was pretty stressful, because it was all on you," Beason admitted. "That's why (the radio) is going to help, because it's going to make the whole thing a lot faster, a lot smoother. There's so many words, so many signals coming at you so fast, it's hard sometimes.

"It's going to help me a lot. Coach Trgovac is going to make it smooth. He's calm under pressure, so having him in my ear is going to be good."

(heraldonline.com)