woodbuck27
08-26-2006, 12:20 AM
Posted August 24, 2006
Beach finally earning respect
By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
With every bit of success that Arliss Beach has during Green Bay Packers training camp, he thinks about his four years at the University of Kentucky and just shakes his head.
After Beach's sophomore season at Kentucky, he seemed well on his way to becoming a star. During his first start, he rushed for three touchdowns as the Wildcats nearly upset the University of Florida. Beach finished the season as Kentucky's leading rusher and also led the team with eight touchdowns.
As well as Beach played, however, he seldom found himself in the starting lineup.
"I guess I just wasn't their guy. I never really understood how they did things there," Beach said. "I came in under one coaching staff, and I just didn't fit in with the new coaching staff. They wanted a scat back, and I'm more of a power back."
Beach seldom was used during his senior season, with only 64 rushes for 288 yards. After failing to regularly crack the starting lineup, Beach said he knew he had a tough battle ahead if he was even going to get a chance to make the NFL.
"I'm not here because of anything I did at Kentucky," Beach said. "I had a good pro day, and that's the only reason I'm here right now."
NFL teams had very little interest in Beach until he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds and had 21 repetitions in the bench press of 225 pounds at Kentucky's pro day. While the performance wasn't enough to get Beach drafted, he was one of the players the Packers targeted as an undrafted free agent.
"It was another case of our scouts doing a great job," Packers running backs coach Edgar Bennett said. "Here's a guy who didn't do much at Kentucky, but when he did play, we saw talent. Now, he's in a NFL camp holding his own with everybody. He's a tough kid, and we really like him."
It would have been easy for Beach to get forgotten about during camp. With Ahman Green, Samkon Gado, Najeh Davenport, Noah Herron and Beach, the Packers have five players vying for what could be three or four roster spots. Beach may have not seemed like a serious contender for a roster spot when he was sidelined with a concussion early in training camp, but after he rushed nine times for 50 yards in Saturday's preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons, the coaching staff is looking at Beach a bit differently.
"He's a tough, physical football player," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think he's a young man with a bright future."
Right now, the bigger question may be just how the Packers are going to find room for Beach on what promises to be an already crowded roster. With the way Beach played Saturday night, it could be hard for the Packers to slip him through waivers to try and sign him to the practice squad if he doesn't make the final 53-man roster.
"We have two weeks to let everything play itself out," Bennett said. "I'm anxious to see what he does in these next two games and then we'll go from there."
Right now, Beach is just happy to be given the chance that he didn't feel he got at Kentucky.
"It felt good to finally be able to go out there and show them that I'm capable of doing the things they need me to do," Beach said. "All I wanted was an opportunity, and now that I have it, I'm going to make the most of it."
Dylan B. Tomlinson writes for The Post-Crescent of Appleton. E-mail him at dtomlins@postcrescent.com
GO PACK GO !!!
Beach finally earning respect
By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
With every bit of success that Arliss Beach has during Green Bay Packers training camp, he thinks about his four years at the University of Kentucky and just shakes his head.
After Beach's sophomore season at Kentucky, he seemed well on his way to becoming a star. During his first start, he rushed for three touchdowns as the Wildcats nearly upset the University of Florida. Beach finished the season as Kentucky's leading rusher and also led the team with eight touchdowns.
As well as Beach played, however, he seldom found himself in the starting lineup.
"I guess I just wasn't their guy. I never really understood how they did things there," Beach said. "I came in under one coaching staff, and I just didn't fit in with the new coaching staff. They wanted a scat back, and I'm more of a power back."
Beach seldom was used during his senior season, with only 64 rushes for 288 yards. After failing to regularly crack the starting lineup, Beach said he knew he had a tough battle ahead if he was even going to get a chance to make the NFL.
"I'm not here because of anything I did at Kentucky," Beach said. "I had a good pro day, and that's the only reason I'm here right now."
NFL teams had very little interest in Beach until he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds and had 21 repetitions in the bench press of 225 pounds at Kentucky's pro day. While the performance wasn't enough to get Beach drafted, he was one of the players the Packers targeted as an undrafted free agent.
"It was another case of our scouts doing a great job," Packers running backs coach Edgar Bennett said. "Here's a guy who didn't do much at Kentucky, but when he did play, we saw talent. Now, he's in a NFL camp holding his own with everybody. He's a tough kid, and we really like him."
It would have been easy for Beach to get forgotten about during camp. With Ahman Green, Samkon Gado, Najeh Davenport, Noah Herron and Beach, the Packers have five players vying for what could be three or four roster spots. Beach may have not seemed like a serious contender for a roster spot when he was sidelined with a concussion early in training camp, but after he rushed nine times for 50 yards in Saturday's preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons, the coaching staff is looking at Beach a bit differently.
"He's a tough, physical football player," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think he's a young man with a bright future."
Right now, the bigger question may be just how the Packers are going to find room for Beach on what promises to be an already crowded roster. With the way Beach played Saturday night, it could be hard for the Packers to slip him through waivers to try and sign him to the practice squad if he doesn't make the final 53-man roster.
"We have two weeks to let everything play itself out," Bennett said. "I'm anxious to see what he does in these next two games and then we'll go from there."
Right now, Beach is just happy to be given the chance that he didn't feel he got at Kentucky.
"It felt good to finally be able to go out there and show them that I'm capable of doing the things they need me to do," Beach said. "All I wanted was an opportunity, and now that I have it, I'm going to make the most of it."
Dylan B. Tomlinson writes for The Post-Crescent of Appleton. E-mail him at dtomlins@postcrescent.com
GO PACK GO !!!