Beckner stays true to himself
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Under Armour All-American Terry Beckner Jr., is an unquestioned leader on his East St. Louis (Ill.) High team this season. It is a role that found him, not the other way around.
"You can't just talk and tell them what to do," Beckner says. "They are going to feed off what you do. If you are playing hard and you are playing fast, the people who follow you are going to do the same."
The nation's No. 31 ranked prospect in the 2015 class has been a well-known name on the college recruiting scene for years, but he does not court the spotlight. His approach has always been to give his all to the challenge at hand and let the other pieces, including recruiting, fall where they may.
"Terry, this year, has emerged as a true, vocal leader," East St. Louis assistant coach Harith Mitchom said. "He has always been a quiet kid, which makes it even more (poignant). It has been great for us to see Terry taking an active role and not only being a leader in his play and practice, but being a more vocal leader on the field and off the field.
"He has challenged players throughout the course of practice. He has just turned his personality around. He has taken on the strong role of this being the last year and he's going to be successful."
Beckner was presented the jersey signifying he is a 2015 Under Armour All-American at halftime of his team's Sept. 13 home game. He will be the second East St. Louis player to participate in the game, following Terry Hawthorne, who was the leading receiver in the 2009 game and would go on to be a fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013.
"I think Terry Beckner is very similar to Terry Hawthorne," Mitchom said. "I can recall they had the same type of personality - quiet and really prefer not to be in the limelight. They are model students and model kids that you like to represent the school. It's nice when those are the kids that get the rewards and the accolades. He's what I would consider a true representation of our kids."
The first scholarship offers for Beckner arrived during his sophomore year. His list now reads like a who's who of college football's elite, but where he will play out his college career is far from decided because Beckner has barely begun to consider that question.
While more than half of the Rivals100 have already made their college commitments, Beckner has taken just one recruiting visit - to Missouri last spring. He has not scheduled his official visits and does not plan to until his senior season goals are met.
"He has had several opportunities to be the limelight person, to follow the norm," Mitchom said. "You have recruiters come in, fly in, just to see him and tell him all things that you'd want to hear, but for him it is a simple, 'whatever me and my family deem is best, that is what will happen.'
"I think it is very difficult for teenagers in today's world to be themselves, and the recruiting process is definitely one instance where kids kind of lose themselves in the whole process. For an individual to stay who they are, you have to tip your hat to them because there are very few who are able to basically keep their personality throughout this process."
Beckner's approach to the recruiting process has dumbfounded many observers because it is so outside the norm. Many prospects handle their recruitments with class and dignity, but few eschew it all together in favor of devoting their entire focus to their high school careers.
"I still haven't been looking at recruiting. I am still staying wide-open on everything," Beckner confirmed. "I have gotten some calls. The calls I got were Ohio State, Auburn, Mizzou and there were some more, but I am not really into the recruiting process right now. I am just trying to finish my season off right."
A 6-foot-4, 298-pound defensive lineman, Beckner plays defensive end and offensive tackle. His size and skill set suggest he will move down to the interior of the defensive line when he arrives in college, but given the choice he prefers to stay on the outside and expects his play at January's Under Armour All-America Game will show fans and college coaches alike why that spot fits him.
"They are going to see my speed and that I am quick," Beckner said. "When you are on the inside you can't do many moves, just bull rush. On the outside you can use your speed."
Beckner was quick to point out that wherever he is asked to play on the defensive line in college, he will play, because for Beckner team goals have always trumped individual accolades.
"Any time an individual can be himself, even when there are several opportunities not to be, that tells you how strong of character he has," Mitchom said.
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