Linebacker Beckwith plays with emotion, pain

• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Dec 29, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

When LSU linebacker Perry Riley glanced over and saw a teammate on the ground writhing in pain against North Texas in the second week of the season, his reaction was the same as always. He felt like he’d been punched in the gut because no player wants to see another player hurt.

Then when Riley saw it was No. 48, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Because with Darry Beckwith, hurt isn’t really an option. Even if he’s down, he’s never out — at least not for good.

“When I saw it was Darry, I knew he’d be O.K.,” Riley said. “He’s the heart and soul for us on defense and he’s going to be out there playing whether he’s hurt or not.”

There’s a reason for that, a major building block in Beckwith’s foundation that makes it impossible for him to walk away from the teammates he toils with every day.

His dad, Darry Beckwith Sr., has worked at a chemical plant in Plaquemine for 25 years, going to work when it was still dark and coming home bone-tired after a full day of hard work.

That example is hard to ignore and the work ethic impossible not to emulate.

“My dad raised me to always be tough and not let little things bother me, so if I’m hurt but I feel like I can come back and play, I’m going to do it,” said Beckwith, LSU’s middle linebacker and one of defense’s emotional touch stones. “I’m going to be out there as long as my leg’s not torn off or something. That’s my responsibility and something I feel like I have to live up to.”

The damage from the North Texas hit was torn cartilage in the same left knee that troubled Beckwith throughout the 2007 season. As badly as the 6-foot-1, 232-pound senior wanted to get back on the field the next week at Auburn, he simply wasn’t able to physically for several weeks.

That served as burning motivation for Beckwith, and three weeks later he fought his way back onto the field for the Tigers’ road trip to Florida. He played every game the rest of the season, gradually rounding back into form with 41 tackles in the final seven games, anchored by eight stops against Troy and Ole Miss.

For a lot of players with an NFL future, a second serious knee injury in as many seasons might be enough to shut things down. The knee problems, coupled with a cranky shoulder ailment that plagued Beckwith all last season, would have made it understandable for Beckwith to cast an eye on his future and leave his college career in the rearview mirror.

Like not playing hurt, though, that would have been very un-Beckwith.

“Never once did I think ‘Let’s shut down and get ready for NFL,’ ” Beckwith said. “Honestly, it never crossed my mind. I still had a lot to accomplish at this level last year when I got hurt and that’s the same way I felt this year.