Back on Track
April 7, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – – During the 2002 football campaign, the Miami Hurricanes had their share of heartbreak, with season-ending and career-threatening injuries to such standouts as Cornelius Green, Kevin Beard and Willis McGahee.
With high-flying split end Andre Johnson snagging as many headlines as touchdown receptions, flankers Beard and Ethenic Sands quietly provided the underpinning for the Hurricanes’ lethal downfield passing attack.
Nevertheless, Beard’s clutch end zone catch against Florida State during the Hurricanes’ thrilling fourth-quarter comeback will rank among the numerous highlights in that rivalry’s storied past and he is credited with some of the most crucial catches of the last two seasons. That is until a costly 28-21 victory over Pittsburgh in which Beard, along with defensive end Green, was sidelined with a torn knee ligament that ended his season.
Beard says that his recovery has been proceeding apace since the Pitt game.
“I’m coming along real well,” the Plantation product said. “I’ve been running the last two weeks and I’m starting to put a lot more pressure on it. Cutting on it is still a little bit harder. But I’m starting to feel a little more comfortable with it. It still bothers me, but I’ve just got to work some of the kinks out.”
Sideline Education
During spring practices, while still recovering from the injury, Beard served in a much different role for the Hurricanes.
In passing drills, Beard could be seen helmetless, a few yards off of the line of scrimmage directing two freshmen receivers’ as they maneuvered into position. Receivers coach Curtis Johnson said that Beard has been indispensable in rearing the Hurricanes’ new corps of wideouts.
“I don’t know what I’d do without him,” Johnson beamed. “It’s just amazing. He knows the offense since he’s been in it long enough.”
“You know, me being here so long and just knowing what I know, it’s a good situation where I can be able to help these younger guys and bring them along a little bit faster than maybe I was when I was younger,” Beard said. “I just try to encourage them and it keeps me part of everything.”
But Beard isn’t quite ready to retire or resign himself to coaching altogether.
With the departure of Johnson, Beard may be looking at expanded responsibilities on offense this season if his knee recovers on schedule.
“I’m expecting a really big season,” he said, adding that with the departure of Johnson,”I really feel like the coaches are looking for me to be the go-to guy now.”
Johnson agreed that his receiver’s recovery has been proceeding very well and he believes Beard may be capable of having an outstanding season.
“He’s ahead of schedule so I don’t see why (he shouldn’t have a great year),” the coach said. “Sometimes, when you have knee surgery, you come back better than you were before. I’ve had eight knee surgeries myself. That’s what I see with Kevin.”
One of the benefits of being restricted to the sideline is the view it affords, according to Johnson.
“I think you watch kids (other players, when you’re sidelined) and you watch mistakes and you watch good and bad things,” he said. “Absolutely (it can make Beard a smarter player), but only time will tell once he gets back on the field.”
