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JON BEASON
Middle Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
No. 52
Age: 23
Height/weight: 6-0/237
Born: Jan. 14, 1985 Miramar, Fla.
Resides: Charlotte, N.C., and Miami
College: Miami
Drafted: First round (25th overall) by Carolina, 2007
Years as starter: 2nd
Career NFL stats: Started every game as a rookie. Credited with a team-leading 140 tackles—second-most among NFL rookies—including 106 solos, had 34 assists and one interception. Finished second to SF’s Patrick Willis in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Family: Single, no kids. Older brother, Adrian Jr., mother, Terry, grandparents Earline Tuff and Roosevelt George.
PERSONAL FILES
Wackiest prank in training camp:
The veterans fill garbage cans all the way up with water. They take them to the rookies’ dorm rooms and lean them up against the doors with a cinder block underneath. In our dorm, the doors open inward. So when you wake up in the morning, you’re on your way to breakfast or whatever, as you open your door, here comes a garbage can full of water that splashes into your room like a tidal wave. When I was a rookie, the guy across the hall got hit and he was mad. He saw the garbage can leaning against our door guy and moved it to the side so we wouldn’t get hit.
Best QB I’ve faced:
Brett Favre. I also like David Garrard from Jacksonville, I couldn’t get a bead on him. He’s a big guy and stands there in the pocket. You can come on a blitz, whatever, and he acts like no one is around him. I admire that kind of composure. Plus, he can scramble.
Best defensive player I’ve played with:
Sean Taylor at the University of Miami. I looked up to him when I came in at Miami as a big safety, I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I was just in awe of how big and fast he was and could still cover the way he did. I was a big Sean Taylor fan.
Describe the biggest hit of your career:
In my sophomore year in high school, our safety went down and I had to play strong safety. We were playing a Cover 3 defense, and anyone who knows the Cover 3 knows that on a swing route by a running back, the quarterback should not throw him the ball. But that was his last read and he threw the swing route. As the running back turned upfield I was breaking and hit him when the ball got there. On the film, you could see his legs slide up and kick me in the helmet as we made contact…I dove into him like a Superman hit. I jumped up, popped off my helmet and just stood there. The coach came off the sidelines to help the kid up, but he had a concussion and was delirious. It was the first play of the game, right after the kickoff, and my whole team jumped all over me. It was a good momentum play and set the tone. I don’t ever want to hurt anyone, except for knocking them out of that one game they’re playing against my team.
Closest friends in football:
Miami is like a big fraternity, and anyone who played there is close. A guy like Jesse Armstead played there in the early ’90s, and I have a very close relationship with him. We were both undersized linebackers coming out of college and he had a great career in the NFL. Also Dan Morgan (Saints LB), Dante Rosario (Panthers TE), Ryne Robinson (Panthers WR) and Tim Shaw (Panthers LB).
Favorite foods:
Surf & Turf.
Favorite movies:
I’m a big Jason Bourne fan, so I liked all three Bourne movies. Also “The Count of Monte Cristo,” “The Lion King,” “Men of Honor.” I’m a big movie guy.
What’s in your iPod?
Lil’ Wayne and a lot of old school rap like Tupac. But I probably listen to R&B more than anything.
Superstitions:
I believe in Murphy’s Law, that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I understand bad things happen and that’s a part of life, no matter how good a person you are. I’m a Christian but I know bad things are going to happen, and overcoming them is what shapes and molds the person you are. You have to live through the bad times and persevere.
Best qualities for a person to have:
To be genuine, trustworthy and respectful.
Charitable endeavors:
Tim Lester Cares is a program that helps kids with the SAT so they can get to the next level. In South Florida, I was around a lot of great athletes who were better than me, but when it came time to jump to the next level it was impossible based on their SAT or GPA. TLC helps kids with that.
My hero is:
My mom, and the rest of my family. My mother overcame a lot of tough times by thinking outside the box. She was strong and did a good job of handling different problems that I didn’t even always know we had. That enabled me to be where I am now.
My mom went above and beyond the call of duty so me and my brother could have a good life.
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