Ian Beckles

NFL player


ImageWidth = 150px
Name=
DateOfBirth=Birth date and age|1967|7|20|mf=y
Birthplace=Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DateOfDeath=
Position=Guard
College=Indiana
DraftedYear=1990
DraftedRound=5 / Pick 114
Stats=Y
DatabaseFootball=BECKLIAN01
Awards=
Records
years=1990-1996
1997-1998
teams=Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Philadelphia Eagles
ProBowls=
HOF=

Ian Harold Beckles (born July 20, 1967 in Montreal, Quebec) is a former American football Guard who played nine seasons in the NFL. Beckles is currently part of the Ron Diaz & Ian Beckles Show on 620 WDAE-AM "The Sports Animal" in Tampa, Florida.

Early Years to College

Beckles grew up with his mother in a single-parent home in Montreal and played hockey and baseball as a youth (among his friends was future NFL fullback and Buc teammate Alonzo Highsmith). However, after playing football in high school, Beckles went on to play junior college football in Iowa. Beckles later transferred to Indiana, and became a standout guard during the 1988 and 1989 seasons. At Indiana, Beckles blocked for future NFL quarterback Trent Green, and running back Anthony Thompson, (who won the Maxwell House player of the year award in 1989) and alongside standout center Ron Vargo, who played briefly for the Arena League's Cleveland franchise in the early 1990s.

Professional Football

Following Indiana, Beckles was drafted in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL draft and started immediately for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at right guard. The rookie was a bright addition to an interior line the had stuggled with guards Tom McHale, John Bruhin and Carl Bax.
Beckles became a mainstay, along with left tackle Paul Gruber and center Tony Mayberry, with the Bucs, while the left guard and right tackle positions were in flux from season to season. During his time, the Bucs had 1,000 yard rushers Errict Rhett (1994, 1995) and Reggie Cobb (1992).
Beckles, who wore jersey no. 62, departed as a free agent in 1996 after seven seasons in Tampa, inking a deal with Philadelphia. Beckles, however, did want to leave the Bucs, and blames then Bucs offensive line coach Chris Foerster for the split from the organization. Foerster wanted to bring larger lineman to the Bucs than the 6 foot, 300 pound Beckles.
Second year guard Jorge Diaz (6-4, 315) took Beckles spot at right guard for the Bucs in 1997, and was moved to left guard the following season to replace Jim Pyne (who went to Cleveland in the expansion draft). The spot then went to Frank Middleton (6-3, 330) in 1998.
Beckles started two seasons for the Eagles at right guard alongside players such as tackle Richard Cooper, centers Steve Everitt and Bubba Miller and Jermaine Mayberry, before signing with the Jets in 1999. Ricky Watters had 1,000 yard seasons in each of Beckles' seasons as a starter with Philadelphia under offensive coordinator Jon Gruden.
His time with the Jets was brief, however, as he was released prior to the season as the Jets elected to go with young guards Randy Thomas (right side, a rookie) and Kerry Jenkins (left side, who moved inside from tackle) and David Loverne. Head coach Bill Parcells criticized Beckles' conditioning during his time in New York.
Beckles was in camp with the Broncos for approximately one month as a backup to left guard Mark Schlereth in 2000, but was released and retired.

Post football

After football, Beckles, his wife and two children remained in Tampa. He briefly owned a Blimpie sandwich shop in Tampa before he began filling in for the late Chris Thomas at 620 WDAE, an AM sports radio station in the Tampa Bay area.After Thomas' passing, Beckles and longtime local radio DJ Ron Diaz took the nine to noon time slot on WDAE. The duo is among the top rated radio shows in the Tampa market in its time slot. The duo's show involves sports, but often pop culture happenings, news, food, women, sex and travel are among the conversations.
On WDAE Beckles is known to consistently lose in the weekly birthday game to partner Ron Diaz, and often blames "the fairest commissioner in all of sports," Justin Pawlowski, for these defeats. The list of regular callers includes Tony the Racist, Boston Rob, Rey-Rey (actually another caller, Steve O, voice diguised) and Chowder Man.
In 2007 the show had one of the its more memorable episodes, as former Rays' outfielder Elijah Dukes' family members and Dukes called the show in regard to Dukes' parental, family and criminal issues. Dukes' mother, Phyllis, explained her son has children with many different mothers because "if a girl is gonna drop it like it's hot, then she's gonna drop it like it't hot."
While on WDAE, Beckles worked one season for the Buccaneers Radio Network, where he did the weekly Jon Gruden show. However, Gruden apparently did not like some of Beckles' more critical questions, and Beckles' contract was not renewed for another season. According to Beckles, Gruden, his old offenseive coordinator in Philadelphia, no longer will acknowledge or speak to talk him.
In his spare time, Beckles enjoys cooking and eating, shopping, travel and coaches his son's youth football team in Tampa. It is not Beckles' only involvement in the community.
He is heavily involved in raising funds for the Children's Cancer Foundation in Tampa, and is the organizer of the annual Blue and White Party at the Tampa Hard Rock Casino, which raises money for the Foundation. Beckles also has his own clothes line, As-I-B, which is sold in locations throughout Tampa Bay and online. The 40-year-old Beckles also promotes local boxing events through Star Fights Production, Inc. and emcees matches and other events.
Beckles was also co-publisher of the magazine IMAGO, but the magazine's headquarters burned down before the first issue was published. The magazine is on hiatus as of July 2008.

Links

[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4013524.html] Indiana at a glance 1990.
[http://www.imagomagazine.com/] Imago Magazine
[http://www.620wdae.com/pages/ron_ian.html] Ron and Ian page
[http://www.ianbeckles.com/] Ian's page
[http://www.as-i-b.com/Default_Splash.aspx] As-I-B clothes line
[http://starfightproductions.com/] Starfight

Buccaneers right guards since 1990

1990-1996 Ian Beckles
1997 Jorge Diaz
1998-2000 Frank Middleton
2001-2004 Cosey Coleman
2005 Sean Mahan
2006-present Davin Joseph