Don Beebe
{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1964)}}
{{Distinguish|Dan Beebe}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image = DonBeebeWCCL by Steve Yoon (4) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Beebe in 2015
| number =
| current_team = Aurora Spartans
| position = Head coach
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|12|18}}
| birth_place = Aurora, Illinois, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lb = 185
| high_school = Maple Park (IL) Kaneland
| college = Western Illinois (1984–1987)
Chadron State (1988)
| draftyear = 1989
| draftround = 3
| draftpick = 82
| pastteams =
- Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|1989|1994}})
- Carolina Panthers ({{NFL Year|1995}})
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1996|1997}})
| pastcoaching =
- Aurora Christian HS (2004–2017)
Head coach - Aurora (2019–present)
Head coach
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 = 219
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 = 3,416
| statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 23
| regular_record = {{Winning percentage|48|5|record=y}}
| playoff_record = {{Winning percentage|3|5|record=y}}
| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|51|10|record=y}}
| pfr = BeebDo00
}}
Donald Lee Beebe (born December 18, 1964) is an American college football coach and former wide receiver. He is the head football coach for Aurora University, a position he has held since 2019. He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. In addition to his six seasons with the Bills, who selected him in the third round of the 1989 NFL draft, he was a member of the Carolina Panthers during their inaugural season and played for the Green Bay Packers in his last two seasons.
A member of the Bills teams that lost four consecutive Super Bowls, Beebe achieved recognition for preventing an opposing touchdown by forcing a fumble in Super Bowl XXVII, despite the Bills facing an insurmountable deficit. He made two further Super Bowl appearances with the Packers and was part of the team winning Super Bowl XXXI. Beebe pursued a coaching career after retirement and was hired as Aurora's head football coach in 2019.
Early life
Beebe is one of five children of Don and Barb Beebe.{{Cite web |last=Oberhelman |first=Dave |date=November 21, 2012 |title=Beebe brothers a winning combination at Aurora Christian |url=http://football.dailyherald.com/article/20121121/sports/711219701/ |url-access=subscription |website=Daily Herald |location=Arlington Heights, Illinois}} He attended Kaneland High School in Maple Park, Illinois where he lettered in basketball, track and football, graduating in 1983. After attending Western Illinois University, he transferred to Chadron State College in Nebraska, where he set several school football records his senior year and ran a 6.3 60-yard dash on the indoor track team.{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Fred |date=February 9, 2013 |title=Beebe knows how often major college recruiters miss prospects |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-09/sports/ct-spt-0209-mitchell-chicago--20130209_1_andre-reed-40-yard-dash-western-illinois |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424015346/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-09/sports/ct-spt-0209-mitchell-chicago--20130209_1_andre-reed-40-yard-dash-western-illinois |archive-date=April 24, 2013 |access-date=October 9, 2021 |website=Chicago Tribune}}
In his sole season with Chadron State, Beebe caught 49 passes for 906 yards and rushed 10 times for 81. He became the first player in school history to score a touchdown in every game, while also setting single-season school records for most all-purpose yards (1,661), points scored (90), and touchdowns (15). In 2000, Beebe was inducted into Chadron State's athletic hall of fame.{{Cite web |title=Don Beebe (2000) - Chadron State College Athletic Hall of Fame |url=https://chadroneagles.com/honors/chadron-state-college-athletic-hall-of-fame/don-beebe/158}}
As of 2020, he still holds the following Chadron State football records:{{Cite web |title=Chadron State College Football Records |url=https://chadroneagles.com/sports/2013/5/22/FB_0522133532.aspx |access-date=October 9, 2021 |publisher=Chadron State College}}
- Most touchdown receptions in a game: 4 vs. Black Hills State, 1988
- Most touchdowns scored: 5 vs. Black Hills State, 1988
- Kick Returns and Kick Return Yards in a season: 29 for 722 yards, 1988
NFL career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 10 3/4
| weight = 176
| dash = 4.25
| ten split = 1.53
| twenty split = 2.59
| shuttle = 4.08
| cone drill =
| vertical = 36.5
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 7
| bench =
| arm span = 33 5/8
| hand span = 10
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |title=Don Beebe, Combine Results, WR - Chadron State (NE) |url=https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?i=25618 |access-date=April 5, 2022 |website=nflcombineresults.com}}{{Cite web |date=December 30, 2019 |title=Don Beebe RAS |url=https://ras.football/2019/12/30/don-beebe-ras/ |access-date=April 5, 2022 |website=ras.football}}
}}
Beebe was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round (82nd pick overall) of the 1989 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1989 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1989/draft.htm |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1989 - Round 3 |url=http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?season=1989#round3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080419222954/http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?season=1989 |archive-date=April 19, 2008 |access-date=October 9, 2021 |website=NFL.com |publisher=National Football League}} He posted impressive statistics in speed and agility drills at the 1989 pre-draft combine.{{Cite news |last=Wojciechowski |first=Gene |date=October 15, 1989 |title=He's Making Beeline to Recognition: Bills: Buffalo wide receiver Don Beebe has caught NFL defensive backs off guard with both his speed and ability |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-15-sp-337-story.html |access-date=December 19, 2013}}
In his nine NFL seasons, Beebe caught 219 passes for 3,416 yards, rushed for 28 yards, returned 81 kickoffs for 1,735 yards, and scored 25 touchdowns (23 receiving, one kickoff return, and one fumble recovery). He appeared in five Super Bowls as a player: XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII with the Buffalo Bills (missing XXV due to injury) and XXXI and XXXII with Green Bay. While Buffalo lost its four consecutive title games, Beebe ultimately won a Super Bowl with the Packers in XXXI.{{cite web | last=Verderame | first=Matt | title=Super Bowl memories: Don Beebe wins with Packers, hurts with Bills | website=FanSided | date=2017-02-02 | url=https://fansided.com/2017/02/02/super-bowl-memories-don-beebe/ | access-date=2024-10-31}}
Beebe is well known for making one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history during XXVII against the Dallas Cowboys. In the game's fourth quarter, Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett recovered a Bills fumble and advanced the ball toward the end zone. However, Lett began to celebrate prematurely by holding the ball out to his right side. Although the Bills were losing 52–17 at the time, a relentless Beebe streaked down the field and knocked the ball out of Lett's hands just before he crossed the goal line.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Kevin |last2=Merron |first2=Jeff |last3=Schoenfield |first3=David |title=100 Greatest Super Bowl Moments: #11 All hustle |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/superbowlmoments25.html |access-date=October 9, 2021 |website=ESPN Page 2}} The loose ball went through the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback and prevented a Dallas touchdown, which would have given them a Super Bowl-record 58 points, plus (presumably) an extra point kick. Beebe also caught two passes for 50 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown reception from Frank Reich earlier in the game.
Beebe played one season for the Carolina Panthers in 1995 before finishing his career with the Packers. With injuries ravaging the Packers' receiving corps in 1996, Beebe ended up being the Packers' second-leading receiver, with 39 receptions, 699 receiving yards, 4 touchdown receptions, as well as the only kickoff return touchdown of his career.
His standout game came in an overtime battle against the San Francisco 49ers, where Beebe had 11 receptions for 220 yards and one touchdown in a 23–20 Packer victory. The most controversial play of the game occurred when Beebe stumbled and fell after catching a pass from Favre. Beebe got up and ran the ball in for a 59-yard touchdown. Replays show that he was tagged by Marquez Pope and should have been ruled down, but referees missed the call and video review was not available that year.{{cite web | last=McKillop | first=Andrew | title=Green Bay Packers: 5 Most Memorable Games Against the San Francisco 49ers | website=BleacherReport | date=2010-12-03 | url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/534369-green-bay-packers-the-five-most-memorable-games-against-the-sf-49ers | access-date=2024-11-09}}
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable" |
| colspan="2"| Legend |
|---|
| style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|
| Won the Super Bowl |
| Bold
| Career high |
=Regular season=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Receiving ! colspan="5"| Rushing ! colspan="5"| Kick Returns | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD |
| 1989 | BUF
| 14 || 0 || 17 || 317 || 18.6 || 63 || 2 || 0 || – || – || – || – || 16 || 353 || 22.1 || 85 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 1990 | BUF
| 12 || 4 || 11 || 221 || 20.1 || 49 || 1 || 1 || 23 || 23.0 || 23 || 0 || 6 || 119 || 19.8 || 27 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 1991 | BUF
| 11 || 7 || 32 || 414 || 12.9 || 34 || 6 || 0 || – || – || – || – || 7 || 121 || 17.3 || 24 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 1992 | BUF
| 12 || 8 || 33 || 554 || 16.8 || 65 || 2 || 1 || -6 || -6.0 || -6 || 0 || 0 || – || – || – || – | |||||||||||||||
| 1993 | BUF
| 14 || 14 || 31 || 504 || 16.3 || 65 || 3 || 0 || – || – || – || – || 10 || 160 || 16.0 || 22 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 1994 | BUF
| 13 || 11 || 40 || 527 || 13.2 || 72 || 4 || 2 || 11 || 5.5 || 6 || 0 || 12 || 230 || 19.2 || 35 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 1995 | CAR
| 14 || 1 || 14 || 152 || 10.9 || 24 || 1 || 0 || – || – || – || – || 9 || 215 || 23.9 || 38 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 1996 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|GB
| 16 || 6 || 39 || 699 || 17.9 || 80 || 4 || 0 || – || – || – || – || 15 || 403 || 26.9 || 90 || 1 | |||||||||||||||
| 1997 | GB
| 10 || 0 || 2 || 28 || 14.0 || 23 || 0 || 0 || – || – || – || – || 6 || 134 || 22.3 || 39 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BeebDo00.htm Career]
! 116 | 51 | 219 | 3,416 | 15.6 | 80 | 23 | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 23 | 0 | 81 | 1,735 | 21.4 | 90 | 1 |
=Postseason=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Receiving ! colspan="5"| Kick Returns | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD |
| 1989 | BUF
| 1 || 0 || 1 || 17 || 17.0 || 17 || 0 || 2 || 53 || 26.5 || 32 || 0 | ||||||||||
| 1990 | BUF
| 0 || 0 || colspan="10"| did not play due to injury | ||||||||||
| 1991 | BUF
| 3 || 2 || 11 || 144 || 13.1 || 43 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||||
| 1992 | BUF
| 4 || 3 || 12 || 186 || 15.5 || 40 || 2 || 0 || – || – || – || – | ||||||||||
| 1993 | BUF
| 3 || 3 || 9 || 88 || 9.8 || 18 || 0 || 3 || 71 || 23.7 || 34 || 0 | ||||||||||
| 1996 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|GB
| 3 || 0 || 2 || 31 || 15.5 || 29 || 0 || 1 || 25 || 25.0 || 25 || 0 | ||||||||||
| 1997 | GB
| 0 || 0 || colspan="10"| {{abbr|DNP|Did not play}} | ||||||||||
| colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BeebDo00.htm Career]
! 14 | 8 | 35 | 466 | 13.3 | 43 | 3 | 7 | 149 | 21.3 | 34 | 0 |
Coaching career
In 1998, Beebe founded House of Speed, LLC,{{Cite web |title=About |url=http://www.houseofspeed.com/about-us/ |access-date=November 29, 2010 |website=HouseofSpeed.com |archive-date=November 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130115708/http://www.houseofspeed.com/about-us/ |url-status=dead }} a company that specializes in training athletes in the essentials of top performance, speed and character. House of Speed began franchise operations in 2006 and has locations in eleven states. Beebe also works with several professional, collegiate and amateur sports organizations in the area of speed, including the Chicago Bears, the Los Angeles Rams, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and Club Fusion Volleyball.
In 2004, Beebe began coaching football for Aurora Christian Schools in Aurora, Illinois.{{Cite web |title=Head Coach: Don Beebe |url=http://www.aurorachristian.org/athletics/football.cfm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210192459/http://www.aurorachristian.org/athletics/football.cfm |archive-date=February 10, 2012 |access-date=February 20, 2012 |website=Aurora Christian Schools}} He—along with his brother, defensive coordinator David Beebe, and brother Dan, the school's athletic director—led the Eagles to the school's first state championship appearance in 2008, where the team finished as 4A state runner-up after losing to Bloomington Central Catholic 37–28.{{Cite web |title=Aurora Christian Football History |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/aurora-christian-eagles-%28aurora,il%29/football/previous_seasons.htm |access-date=October 9, 2021 |website=MaxPreps}} Three years later Beebe and the Eagles returned to the finals, this time winning the 2011 IHSA Class 3A State Championship with a 34–7 win over Mt. Carmel. In 2012, Beebe led the Eagles to a second straight IHSA Class 3A State Championship by defeating Tolono-Unity 42–12 before stepping down as coach after the 2013 season and an overall 97–26 record. His brother succeeded him as head coach.{{Cite web |last=Oberhelman |first=Dave |date=December 13, 2013 |title=Beebe steps down at Aurora Christian |url=https://football.dailyherald.com/article/20131213/sports/712139716/ |website=Daily Herald |location=Arlington Heights, Illinois}}
In November 2018, Beebe was named the head coach at Aurora University, replacing Rick Ponx, who was fired just the day before.{{Cite web |date=November 15, 2018 |title=NFL icon Don Beebe named as new head coach for Aurora University Football |url=http://news.aurora.edu/nfl-icon-don-beebe-named-as-new-head-coach-for-aurora-university-football/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116085342/http://news.aurora.edu/nfl-icon-don-beebe-named-as-new-head-coach-for-aurora-university-football/ |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |access-date=October 9, 2021 |website=AU Today |publisher=Aurora University}}{{Cite news |last=Armstrong |first=Rick |date=November 13, 2018 |title=Blue Monday: Aurora University fires football coach Rick Ponx and majority of his staff without comment |work=The Beacon-News |location=Aurora, Illinois |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/sports/ct-abn-spt-football-aurora-university-rick-ponx-st-1114-story.html |access-date=January 7, 2021}}
Personal life
In 2000, Chadron State renamed its renovated football stadium after Beebe, calling it Elliott Field at Don Beebe Stadium.{{Cite web |title=Elliott Field at Don Beebe Stadium |url=https://chadroneagles.com/sports/2012/7/13/FB_0713120213.aspx |publisher=Chadron State College Athletics}}
Beebe wrote a book with Denise Crosby titled Six Rings from Nowhere.{{Cite web |title=Six Rings From Nowhere - Don Beebe |url=https://sixringsfromnowhere.com/ |website=sixringsfromnowhere.com}} As of 2014, a deal was in the works to develop the book into a feature film about Beebe's life and Christian faith.{{Cite web |last=Schwab |first=Jay |date=July 6, 2014 |title=Beebe moving forward on movie project |url=http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2014/07/06/beebe-moving-forward-on-movie-project/acu75j1/ |access-date=January 7, 2021 |website=Daily Chronicle |location=DeKalb, Illinois}}
Beebe's son, Chad, was a wide receiver for Northern Illinois University, a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings NFL team from 2018 to 2022, and was a wide receiver for the Houston Texans in 2022.{{Cite web |title=Chad Beebe, WR #12 |url=https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/chad-beebe/ |access-date=October 9, 2021 |publisher=Minnesota Vikings}}
Head coaching record
=College=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = both | poll1 = D3 | poll2 = AFCA }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Aurora Spartans
| conf = Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
| startyear = 2019
| endyear =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2019
| name = Aurora
| overall = 9–2
| conference = 7–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NCAA Division III First Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 24
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2020–21
| name = Aurora
| overall = 3–0
| conference = 3–0
| confstanding = T–1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2021
| name = Aurora
| overall = 8–3
| conference = 8–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NCAA Division III First Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2022
| name = Aurora
| overall = 11–2
| conference = 8–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 13
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2023
| name = Aurora
| overall = 11–1
| conference = 8–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NCAA Division III Second Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 13
| ranking2 = 12
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2024
| name = Aurora
| overall = 9–2
| conference = 8–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NCAA Division III Second Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 14
| ranking2 = 14
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2025
| name = Aurora
| overall = 0–0
| conference = 0–0
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Aurora
| overall = 51–10
| confrecord = 42–0
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 51–10
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.donbeebe.com}}
- [https://athletics.aurora.edu/sports/football/roster/coaches/don-beebe/1225 Aurora Spartans bio]
- [http://www.houseofspeed.com/ House Of Speed]—sports and training performance company run by Beebe
- {{Footballstats |nfl=don-beebe |pfr=BeebDo00}}
{{Aurora Spartans football coach navbox}}
{{Super Bowl XXXI}}
{{Bills1989DraftPicks}}
{{1995 Carolina Panthers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beebe, Don}}
Category:Players of American football from Aurora, Illinois
Category:People from Chadron, Nebraska
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Aurora Spartans football coaches
Category:Buffalo Bills players
Category:Carolina Panthers players
Category:Chadron State Eagles football players
Category:Green Bay Packers players
Category:Western Illinois Leathernecks football players
Category:Chadron State Eagles men's track and field athletes
Category:High school football coaches in Illinois
Category:Track and field athletes from Illinois