Beaver: ‘Next Time … I’m Going To Score’
September 04, 2016 | Football, General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
Brandon Beaver wasn't ready to be forgotten. The defensive back wasn't ready for his career to come to a close. He wasn't ready for the ride to end.
So, after suffering a season-ending knee injury against Oregon – Washington's sixth game in 2015 – he went through his rehab with a simple mindset. He focused on the future. He envisioned the day when he was back on the field making plays.
"I felt like, when I got hurt, it was kind of easy to wash me to the side a little bit, so the whole time rehabbing, I just envisioned making plays so people could remember me," the senior said.
"The whole time I was rehabbing, I was thinking about that.
It took Beaver less than one full game to make his presence felt. In the waning seconds of the third quarter of the Huskies' 48-13 win over Rutgers, he picked off a pass at the 50-yard line and made his way toward the end zone before being tackled at the 4.
"It feels really good," Beaver said. "It just shows me that my hard work paid off. Ever since I got hurt, I put in a whole bunch of work, for that moment right there, to make some plays."
When asked about his teammate's return, linebacker Keishawn Bierria said that interception was a fitting start to Beaver's senior season.
"That's one of the hardest working guys, a really positive dude," Bierria said. "Good things are going to come for Beav."
There was, however, one problem with the play. For the second time in two years, Beaver picked off a pass, sprinted down the sideline and came up a few yards short of scoring a touchdown.
Against Utah State in the Huskies' second game last season, Beaver returned an interception 96 yards to the 3. After that game, he joked, "I ran out of gas."
On Saturday, Beaver was laughing once again. He is just happy to be on the field, competing with his teammates. However, the next time he finds himself with the ball in his hands and a clear path to the end zone, well, "I'm going to score."
"Next time, I'm going to get one for sure," he said.
When asked if Beaver would ever find he end zone, Bierria started to laugh.
"Beav, man, that's one of the smartest dudes I know as far as understanding concepts and jumping routes," he said. "I hope he gets a pick-six sometime this year, because he's been doing it in practice.
"I can see him getting into the end zone, but I'm not going to be surprised if he gets tackled on the 4-yard line again."
Coach Chris Petersen, though, took a little bit of a different approach, saying, "I told him, 'You get the ball down to the 4-yard line, that's good enough. The offense can get it in from there.'"
