By Heath A. Smith, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
They patrol the field looking for those that would dare enter their space.
Cross their borders and the the penalty will be swift and sometimes painful.
You could say safeties are the border patrol of the passing lanes, and few were better at patrolling those borders in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2006 than Florida A&M free safety Jason Beach.
"The role of all our safeties is that of an enforcer," said head coach Rubin Carter. "Along with linebackers, we need our safeties to make contact with receivers on crossing routes and plays over the middle.
"They need to be territorial. We don't want to see deep balls and passes thrown in the middle of our defense."
Beach finished the 2006 season with 70 tackles, 4 1/2 tackles for loss and a team-leading four interceptions. Beach's efforts earned him All-MEAC first-team recognition.
Not bad for a walk-on converted quarterback.
"Jason Beach is a young man (whom) we're extremely proud of," Carter said. "He came in as a walk-on and was dedicated to getting himself better. He wanted to get on the field and make a contribution to help us win.
"He's done exactly what we want him to do in the program. He's been a model citizen and is a good student."
FAMU's new defensive backs coach, Willie Tillman, also isn't short on compliments when talking about the junior from Pensacola.
"Jason is a student of the game," Tillman said. "He knows the game and has really helped me a lot from the day I got here to now.
"He's a leader and guys respect him. He's a worker and he's coachable. There is nothing really bad I can say about him. I think he's going to have a great year if he keeps working hard."
Beach didn't rest on his sophomore accomplishments. In fact, he was a regular in the weight room this summer and was a leader in the team's offseason strength and conditioning program.
"I wanted to work on my stance and my footwork this summer," Beach said. "I think that is going to help me become a better tackler. I saw that as really my only weakness."
Although coaches and teammates describe Beach as self-motivated, he got a little extra inspiration from the conference when he was selected to the preseason second team.
"I don't let other people's expectations set limits on me," Beach said. "I was actually a little bit upset about making the second team. I used that as motivation coming into camp. I plan to be better than what others expect from me."
Cross their borders and the the penalty will be swift and sometimes painful.
You could say safeties are the border patrol of the passing lanes, and few were better at patrolling those borders in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2006 than Florida A&M free safety Jason Beach.
"The role of all our safeties is that of an enforcer," said head coach Rubin Carter. "Along with linebackers, we need our safeties to make contact with receivers on crossing routes and plays over the middle.
"They need to be territorial. We don't want to see deep balls and passes thrown in the middle of our defense."
Beach finished the 2006 season with 70 tackles, 4 1/2 tackles for loss and a team-leading four interceptions. Beach's efforts earned him All-MEAC first-team recognition.
Not bad for a walk-on converted quarterback.
"Jason Beach is a young man (whom) we're extremely proud of," Carter said. "He came in as a walk-on and was dedicated to getting himself better. He wanted to get on the field and make a contribution to help us win.
"He's done exactly what we want him to do in the program. He's been a model citizen and is a good student."
FAMU's new defensive backs coach, Willie Tillman, also isn't short on compliments when talking about the junior from Pensacola.
"Jason is a student of the game," Tillman said. "He knows the game and has really helped me a lot from the day I got here to now.
"He's a leader and guys respect him. He's a worker and he's coachable. There is nothing really bad I can say about him. I think he's going to have a great year if he keeps working hard."
Beach didn't rest on his sophomore accomplishments. In fact, he was a regular in the weight room this summer and was a leader in the team's offseason strength and conditioning program.
"I wanted to work on my stance and my footwork this summer," Beach said. "I think that is going to help me become a better tackler. I saw that as really my only weakness."
Although coaches and teammates describe Beach as self-motivated, he got a little extra inspiration from the conference when he was selected to the preseason second team.
"I don't let other people's expectations set limits on me," Beach said. "I was actually a little bit upset about making the second team. I used that as motivation coming into camp. I plan to be better than what others expect from me."
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