Q & A WITH OWEN BEYER

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Last year you really took a huge step forward after starting every game (at DB) as a sophomore, but then the injury bug hit you late in the season. Was that your first significant injury in high school?

“For sure. That was pretty much my first injury ever. It was about Week 6 against JM, I went up for a ball playing defense and kind of just jumped weird and landed on it. I just felt something tweak. It was something like the third or fourth play of the game and actually ended up playing the rest of the game. It felt a little weird, but I played it out and ended up playing only about half of the New Prague game the next wee. I just couldn’t take it and sat out the second half and didn’t dress against Kasson. Then I played the full week against Northfield and then against Mayo I was out there for like two drives when I came down and tackled Holcombe and rolled my hips through. I think what happed was in Week 6 I partially fractured my L3 (vertebrae) and then fully fractured it against Mayo. It was definitely more significant pain. I was out for five months in a back brace and couldn’t lift more than eight pounds.”

How long did it take you to get back into playing shape?

“I was actually restricted on what I could lift because it’s my back and that’s the core of everything. So my actual recovery started with PT for about a month. That was more just getting my leg strength back and agility back. I can actually remember the first time I really jumped I was thinking ‘wow, I’m landing so quick’ because I lost that much (on my vertical) because I literally couldn’t do anything for five months. After about a month of being out of the brace I started figuring things out and gradually got back into shape.”

As a cornerback, you’re on an island, especially in this Cover 0, man-to-man scheme. What type of mental capacity does it take to play the position?

“It’s all about the mental side, especially playing man-to-man. You are bound to get burned at some point. It’s just one-on-one against the other guy and there are some pretty good receivers across the line. You have to be mentally strong, especially when you get beat because you have to recover right away and line up for the next play like it didn’t happen.”

Even though you earned a starting spot as a sophomore, I have to imagine there was a steep learning curve when you first joined the varsity team. Did you expect to jump right into the lineup so quickly and start every game like you did in 2021?

“Definitely not. That was a big shocker, but I just came in confident, played how I have always played and started every game. I thought that was pretty cool because sophomores don’t see the field that often in this system.”

I think I know the answer to this, but did it take you a while to truly feel like you belonged at this level when you were a sophomore? Or do you have the type of personality where you don’t overthink stuff like that?

“Honestly, I felt I belonged right away, but I also had to go up against (Cayden) Holcomb my first game as a starter in Week 1 and I felt pretty good after the game. Because obviously converging (Cayden Holcomb) for four quarters — I mean, he’s one of the best receivers Mayo’s ever had — and I felt like I locked him down pretty good, or at least I thought I did OK for being just a sophomore. After that, I just kept building more confidence.”

Have you always been a cornerback?

“Honestly, not a lot. I played more offense when I was younger. I was a quarterback in eight grade and then split time with (Jacob) Ginskey in ninth grade, so I was all over the place. It was more like I just found that corner spot going into my sophomore and just stuck with it.”

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