Super Bowl legend Don Beebe, Kaneland High honor each other
Former professional football player Don Beebe was at Kaneland High School Thursday to honor the place and the people that gave him his start, by presenting the school with an award from the National Football League.
But before he got the chance, his old high school coach brought the player to tears.
Giving Beebe a replica of a 1980s Kaneland football jersey, Joe Thorgesen announced that the Maple Park school would be retiring No. 22.
"This is the greatest reward I've ever gotten," said Beebe, Class of 1983, who has a Super Bowl championship ring and a college stadium named after him.
"He was just a good kid who went to Kaneland High School. He is a class act, and he gives back. If you kids can walk away with those lessons, this day will be a success," Thorgesen told the students at the pep assembly.
Beebe presented a golden football to the school as part of the NFL's Super Bowl 50 High School Honor Roll program. It recognizes schools that have produced players or head coaches who have played for teams that were in the championship games. Beebe was a player for six of them.
The school showed a video of Beebe highlights, including his first catch in the NFL, which went for a touchdown. There also was the "pogo stick" clip, in which he ended up bouncing vertically on his head in a game against the Cleveland Browns, leaving doctors marveling that he hadn't been killed.
And a legendary 1993 Super Bowl incident.
Why chase Lett?
In that game, Beebe's Buffalo Bills were down by five touchdowns, with no time to make a comeback, and Dallas Cowboy Leon Lett picked up a fumble. He was chugging to a Super Bowl record for most points scored by a team but didn't realize wide receiver Beebe was pouring on the speed from behind.
When Lett started to celebrate by holding the ball out, Beebe stripped it at the 2-yard line.
"Why did I run him down? It was because of those three guys," Beebe said, pointing to his high school football, basketball and track coaches in the front row.
He talked about how tough track coach Ralph Drendel's drills were, and the discipline instilled and encouragement of his basketball coach.
When Lett picked up that fumble, Beebe didn't have time to think; his training kicked in.
"You just react. How you react to something is really your true character," he told the students. And even though the team lost, "If you don't give up, you have a shot and will win at something someday," Beebe said.
Praise for coach
Beebe especially praised Thorgesen.
"I didn't even like football until he came here. I was a basketball junkie," Beebe said.
Beebe got his third standing ovation of the assembly when he then presented the school the jersey he wore for the Green Bay Packers in the only Super Bowl he won.
And he spoke about his unorthodox route to the NFL: He went to Western Illinois University but dropped out before playing. He then attended Aurora College, playing basketball. He left there and installed siding for three years, returned to play at Western, then spent his last year at Chadron State.
At an NFL combine, he set a record for the 40-yard dash that would stand for 17 years.
After his nine-year NFL career, Beebe started the House of Speed business, training athletes.
He also coached Aurora Christian High School to two state football championships.
"If I can do it," Beebe said, "why can't you?"