JUSTIN BEAVER TURNING HEADS

REGINA -- Saskatchewan Roughriders hopeful Justin Beaver has been the hit of camp.
Since the CFL team opened rookie camp a week ago, the 5-foot-7, 190-pound running back has been on the receiving end of two concussive hits during supposedly non-contact drills — both times by linebacker Sam Olajubutu.

No one else outside of the trenches has been thumped in the same way with the same volume. So why has Beaver been getting cranked?

“I don’t know, but I like it,” the 24-year-old product of Palmyra, Wis., said with a grin following Tuesday’s training-camp workouts at Mosaic Stadium. “It’s a wakeup call every morning.
“Come game time, you’re going to get rocked. Those guys (on defence) have got to go all out. They’re trying to get a spot and trying to make themselves a name. If it’s the other way around, I’m going to do the same thing.”

Beaver said he has had chances to return the favour, but has held back. He’s opting to make his mark in other ways, whether it was the diving one-handed catch during a one-on-one drill or the quick move to the outside on a draw play during a team drill.

The graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is among three import backs in camp, along with Wes Cates and Hugh Charles. With Cates nursing a tender shoulder that could keep him out of the season-opener, Beaver could find himself in the lineup.

“I don’t think that’s any motivation for (Beaver and Charles),” said Kavis Reed, the Roughriders’ running backs coach. “I think the motivation for them is making this team, which is a good thing.
“It’s a positive for us because we want to make it as competitive as possible. Even if Wes was healthy, we wanted to make it a situation where, hey, the best guy was going to come out and be the guy on the field for our first game.”

Beaver suggested his aim entering camp was to help the team in any way he could — whether he makes it or not.
“If this is my camp to help them out and if they do well this year, then I’ve accomplished my goal,” he said. “If I make the practice squad, I’ll help out there. If I make the active squad, I’ll help out there any way I can.”

Some would suggest Beaver is hindered by his size, but that hasn’t been a problem before. As a senior at Wisconsin-Whitewater, he was named the outstanding player in Division III football and he left college as the 11th-leading rusher all time in NCAA football.
“(My size) has always been a thing since high school, into college and then in the pros . . .,” said Beaver, who attended a mini-camp with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in 2008. “I’m just keeping to my philosophy of trying to outwork everyone else and that’s been working for me so far.”

“I’m a firm believer that you’re never concerned about size,” Reed added. “If that guy can play football, he can play football. I don’t think God made football players a specific size. I think he just made them athletes.”

Beaver said he has been asking as many questions as he can to figure out the Roughriders’ offence and the Canadian game. He’s actually surprised that he’s been getting answers.
“On a lot of teams, guys won’t help you out,” he said. “Here, they come and ask you if you have any questions. Wes is constantly helping us out, coaching us up. It’s a real unique place to be.”

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