Tony Beckham more or less came in the back door at UW-Stout, but he left with a Stout diploma in his hand on his way to a five-year National Football League (NFL) career.

Along the way, Beckham was a three-time All-WIAC defensive back, a two-time All-American, earned the right to play in the Blue-Grey All-Star game, the first Division III player since the 1980s, and was drafted in the fourth round by the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. Beckham was an integral part in the Blue Devils’ 2000 WIAC championship season, Stout’s first since the 1965 season.

Former head coach Ed Meierkort recruited Beckham from Ocala, Fla., to come to UW-Stout. “Tony was the most dominant cornerback I have ever seen in the WIAC,” Meiekort, who was with the Blue Devils for 10 seasons, said.

Beckham was a Division I caliber athlete coming out of Forest High School near Orlando, Fla., but did not pass the ACT and SAT tests to become Division I eligible. Menomonie High School coach Joe LaBuda, who had coached in Florida before coming to Menomonie, knew of Beckham and had helped set up a pipeline of Florida players to Stout during the 1990s. Meierkort worked with UW-Stout admissions to get Beckham admitted and Beckham redshirted his first season, 1997, to get accustomed to the UW-Stout area, in particular the winter weather.

“Coach Meierkort and (assistant) coach (Carleton) Lance talked to me a lot about making the move to get an education and having fun playing football,” Beckham said. “I knew I wanted to better my life. And having an education is a step to achieve that.”

Beckham started all 10 games in 1998, then earned honorable mention all-WIAC honors during his second year of competition when he snagged career-best three interceptions. It was also during that year that Beckham started returning kickoffs, a trend he would continue through his final two years, when each year he returned a kickoff 85-plus yards or more.

Beckham made a name for himself during this junior year as a “shut down cornerback.” Beckham broke up a team-high 14 passes as a junior as Stout roared to a 10-0 regular season record and their first, and only, NCAA playoff appearance.

Beckham was a usafootball.com All-America pick as a junior and as a senior, he was a first team All-America pick by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), in addition to earning D3football.com All-American honors. Beckham was selected to play in the Aztec Bowl, an all-star game of NCAA Division III players. Beckham was selected to the D3football.com All-Decade team. Beckham was selected as a member of the WIAC All-Time Football Team in 2012.

But Beckham turned down the all-star honor because something more pressing was scheduled that day – graduation. Beckham would graduate with honors with a bachelors degree in psychology.

“Tony was a survivor,” Meierkort said. “He wanted to succeed when most of his classmates from Florida failed. He was a self-motivated young man that took advantage of an opportunity.”

The following week, Beckham would play in the Blue-Gray Game on Christmas Day and would improve his stock for the upcoming NFL Draft later that spring. Beckham trained at UW-Madison with several of the Badger draft-hopefuls. Nearly every NFL team inquired about Beckham and they all saw him at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Ind., that winter.

“The NFL loved his 6-foot-1 size and his great speed (4.38),” Meierkort said. “His ability to close on receivers was critical in his fourth round draft selection.”

Tennessee drafted Beckham in the fourth round, easily the highest draft number for a UW-Stout player. Only three WIAC/WSUC players had been drafted higher than the fourth round before Beckham.

Beckham played four years with the Titans, earning a starting nod during the 2005 season.

“My biggest thrill in the NFL was playing in front of the world with the best of the best,” Beckham said. “My next would have to have been beating out two first rounders and become the team’s starter. I can’t describe the feeling I had coming out of the Bubble with 70,000 fans screaming.”

Beckham did not play during the 2006 and played the 2007 season with the Detroit Lions. During his NFL career, Beckham returned to Florida to conduct the Tony Beckham Skills Camp. He spoke at several high schools about overcoming obstacles in life and worked with Habitat for Humanity to help ensure safety for at-risk youth. | Detroit Lion Bio

Settled in Nashville, Tenn., Beckham was a defensive back coach at Tennessee State University in 2009-10. During the 2010 season, Beckham moved to the high school scene where he was an assistant football coach and boys head soccer coach at Whites Creek High School.

Beckham and his family will be returning to Florida soon where he recently accepted the same position at Westwood High School in Fort Pierce, Fla., where he will be a football assistant and head boys soccer. Soccer is a winter sport in Florida. Beckham and his wife, Amanda, have four children, three daughters, Arianna, Aubrey, and Alana, and a son, Ty.

Bio from the Detroit Lions

Tony Beckham's NFL Career
2007: 
• Cut by Detroit prior to game at Oakland (9/9), then re-signed (9/10) to the active roster.
• Saw action on special teams vs. Minnesota (9/16).
• Inactive at Philadelphia (9/23).
• Released on September 29, 2007.
• Re-signed to the active roster October 1, 2007.
• Beckham had one special teams tackle at Washington (10/7).

2006: Did not play.

2005: Played in 15 games with two starts, while being inactive for one game (12/24 at Miami). Beckham played primarily on special teams and recorded six tackles. He saw limited action at cornerback and totaled 10 tackles and four passes defensed.
•  Started at right cornerback in season-opener at Pittsburgh (9/11) and recorded four tackles.
•  Made second start at right cornerback and recorded one tackle and one pass defensed at St. Louis (9/25).
• Had a team-high two special teams tackles and posted a pass defense vs. Oakland (10/30).
• Inactive at Miami (12/24).
• Saw action at cornerback and tied career-high with five tackles at Jacksonville (1/1) in addition to a pass defensed.

2004: Spent 11 games on physically unable to perform list following surgery to repair an offseason tear of his right anterior cruciate ligament.  Played in final five games of season, including one start (1/2 against Detroit), and totaled five tackles and one pass defensed.
• Underwent surgery April 16, 2004 to repair right ACL tear suffered three days earlier in organized workouts.
• Placed on physically unable to perform list August 31, became eligible for practice November 8 and was activated November 29.
• Return to action at Indianapolis (12/5) and played special teams.
• Saw action at cornerback and on special teams against Kansas City (12/13), at Oakland (12/20) and against Denver (12/25).
• Started at right cornerback against Detroit (1/2), and tied career highs with five tackles and one pass defense before leaving the game in third quarter with bruised right knee.

2003: Served as the third cornerback behind Samari Rolle and Andre Dyson in all 16 games. Saw action at cornerback in 10 regular season games and one postseason game, contributing on special teams in remaining contests. Started for Rolle (dislocated left elbow) in games against Houston (10/12) and at Jacksonville (10/26) and finished the season with 17 tackles, one interception, four passes defensed and eight special teams tackles.
• Totaled two tackles in relief of Samari Rolle who left game at New England (10/5) in first quarter with dislocated left elbow.
• Against Houston (10/12), recorded first career start in place of Rolle and recorded one tackle and one pass defense.
• Recorded first career interception at Jacksonville (10/26), picking off a Byron Leftwich pass in end zone to end Jaguars fourth quarter drive and setting season and career highs with five tackles.
• In Wild Card Playoff win at Baltimore (1/3), filled in at cornerback for Rolle (concussion) in fourth quarter.

2002: Saw action in 14 games as a rookie, spending majority of time on special teams, where he posted 10 tackles.
• Saw action on defense and special teams and collected first NFL special teams tackle against Cleveland (9/22).
• At Indianapolis (11/3), played in dime situations on defense and made season-high two stops on special teams.
• Recorded his first NFL tackle at Jacksonville (12/22), stopping Jaguars RB Stacey Mack in fourth quarter in addition to collecting two tackles on special teams.