Jon Beason

The team leader and a fiery competitor, the Dick Butkus Award candidate was bothered by several nagging injuries the second half of the 2006 season, but still went on to lead the team in tackles (76). The versatile and hard-hitting defender began his Miami career as a fullback, but shifted to strong-side outside linebacker as a redshirt freshman in 2004. He also played several games at middle linebacker that year before shifting to weak-side outside linebacker as a sophomore. Beason could be in line for an other position shift in the National Football League, as his size and instincts might be better suited for middle linebacker in the pros. Former Miami head coach Larry Coker considered Beason in the mold of some former Hurricane linebackers that played during the Coker era -- Dan Morgan (Carolina) and Jonathan Vilma (New York Jets). Coker called Beason a tremendous competitor with the range to make plays from sideline-to-sideline. Beason was a linebacker, strong safety and fullback at Chaminade-Madonna Prep. He earned All-American honors and was the 30th-ranked prospect in the state of Florida, according to Allen Wallace of Super Prep. He was rated the sixth-best linebacker in the country by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report and was a member of the Orlando Sentinel's Florida Top 100 list. He also earned Fox Sports Net All-South third-team honors. As a senior, Beason rushed for 811 yards and 12 touchdowns at fullback. He also was credited with 75 tackles and had five pass interceptions. He lettered in basketball, starting at small forward and helping lead his team to the finals of the state playoffs in 2002. Beason enrolled at the University of Miami in 2003, choosing the school over Florida State, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana State and Georgia. He only appeared in two games, gaining three yards on one rushing attempt before a shoulder injury would force the coaching staff to grant him a medical hardship. In 2004, Beason shifted to defense. He saw reserve action as a middle and strong-side outside linebacker in 12 games, starting on the strong-side vs. Virginia, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. He totaled 29 tackles (9 solos) with a sack and four stops for losses. He also competed on the special team coverage units. The versatile athlete again shifted positions in 2005, taking over weak-side outside linebacker duties and starting 10 of 12 games. He produced 66 tackles (44 solos) with six stops behind the line of scrimmage and also collected four quarterback pressures. Before the 2006 season, Beason joined the Miami track-and-field team. He competed on the indoor squad during the spring, finishing 18th at the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships with a season best mark of 6.50 meters in the long jump. Back on the football field, Beason earned second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors from The NFL Draft Report. He played in 12 games, starting nine times. A slight tear of the medial collateral ligament in his knee vs. Florida International forced him to sit out the Duke game and compete for only a handful of plays vs. Georgia Tech. He still led the team with 76 tackles (51 solos), adding 1.5 sacks and eight stops for losses. He played in the season finale vs. Boston College with a soft cast to protect a left thumb injury suffered the week before vs. Virginia. In 38 games at Miami, Beason started 22 times. He collected 171 tackles (104 solos) with 2.5 sacks for minus-14 yards and 18 stops for losses totaling 45 yards. He posted four quarterback pressures, returned one interception 4 yards and deflected two passes. He caused and recovered a fumble and had one rushing attempt for a 3-yard gain.

positives

An undersized weak-side linebacker, but has experience in the middle and is built more in the lines of that type of player -- stout, strong, with an athletic physique, very good straight-line closing speed, good lateral agility to work down the line and the strong legs to hold position firmly vs. the inside run...Football-smart athlete who gets his teammates lined up and shows good awareness to plays in front of him...Runs sideline to sideline and has a knack for locating the ball, showing good read and react skills...Does a nice job of pushing the tight end back at the line of scrimmage, using his hands properly to gain leverage and reroute...Uses his hands well to ward off smaller blockers and can't be tied up for long in one-on-one confrontations...Not afraid to engage the larger offensive linemen, displaying the hand quickness to shed, and works hard to hold his ground at the point of attack...Can run the field and hit, showing a smooth stride in his outside pursuit and sudden acceleration when closing...Doesn't have the size to play off blockers by the offensive linemen, but knows how to use his quickness and crisp spin and swim moves to avoid...Scrapes to the ball well, and when working in space he uses his hands well to keep separation...Shows the speed and effort to run long distances to make plays along the perimeter...Has fluid hips, getting a proper drop in pass coverage, but needs to do a better job of locating the ball in a crowd (height issues occur when the bigger receivers shield the ball)...Takes proper angles and gets good depth playing in the zone, as he is best when allowed to freelance and flow to the ball rather than step up and engage blocks at the line of scrimmage...Can shock a lethargic blocker by delivering a jolting hand punch and has good lower body flexibility flashing into the backfield off the edge....Has an adequate feel on the blitz and is difficult to block when he sinks his pads, changes direction and shoots the clear gaps.

negatives

Lack of size is a concern, but he plays stronger than his frame indicates...Will need to add more bulk to play on the outside at the next level, but his frame is at maximum growth potential...Scrapes to the ball well, but looks lost trying to stay on the hip of the receiver on longer routes, as he peeks into the backfield too long and doesn't have that second gear needed to recover (better speed moving laterally or straight ahead rather than moving backwards)...His lack of size also comes into play when trying to locate the ball in trash...Can be stacked at the line of scrimmage by the larger blockers due to the size difference...Needs to develop better rip moves as blockers generally lock on to his initial attempt...Good wrap-up tackler, but needs to go a little low in order to properly secure the opponent (not a hammer-type of tackler)...His frame may be better served at inside linebacker, but he will need time to develop because he has only limited reps at that position...Does not show natural hands for the interception and needs to time his leaps better competing for the ball at its high point.

2003: Granted a medical redshirt after playing in two games after suffering a shoulder separation vs. Florida. 2006: Suffered a right knee medial collateral ligament slight tear vs. Florida International (10/14), missing the next game vs. Duke and saw just two plays of action in the Georgia Tech game (10/28)...Sprain his left thumb vs. Virginia (11/18) and was forced to wear a cast the following week vs. Boston College (11/23) to protect his hand.

Campus: 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Attended Chaminade-Madonna (Miramar, Fla.) Prep, playing football for head coach Mark Guandola

Competed as a linebacker, strong safety and fullback

Earned All-American honors and was the 30th-ranked prospect in the state of Florida, according to Allen Wallace of Super Prep

Rated the sixth best linebacker in the country by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report and was a member of the Orlando Sentinel's Florida Top 100 list

Also earned Fox Sports Net All-South third-team honors

As a senior, Beason rushed for 811 yards and 12 touchdowns at fullback

Also credited with 75 tackles and had five pass interceptions

Lettered in basketball, starting at small forward, helping lead his team to the finals of the state playoffs in 2002.

Business Management major

Son of Teraceda Beason

Born 1/14/85

Resides in Miramar, Florida.