The stories of Gerhard de Beerβs first days playing football are legendary at this point, and the UAβs senior offensive lineman laughs about them because, well, they really are funny.
Coach Rich Rodriguez likes to tell the one about de Beer pulling thigh pads out of his locker for the first time, turning to his teammate and asking what they were.
De Beer, from Pretoria, South Africa, had never played football in his life. He was at Arizona on a track and field scholarship when he decided to give football a try.
De Beer started out as a defensive lineman and moved to tight end before settling in on the offensive line. His size β 6 feet 7 inches and 320 pounds β is prototypical for an offensive tackle, arguably the lineβs most important position. He started at right tackle a year ago, but has taken a step backwards since. A knee injury continues to restrict β and frustrate β him. As a result, de Beer has fallen behind sophomore Cody Creason on the depth chart.
Even so, de Beer happily talks about the player he used to be. The one that didnβt really know anything.
During de Beerβs first year, offensive line coach Jim Michalczik instructed de Beer to βgo block the corner,β meaning the cornerback. De Beer ran to the corner of the end zone.
βHe stood over there and didnβt know what was going on,β Michalczik said, laughing. βHe didnβt know a (defensive back) was a corner. Heβs come a long way.β
Added Rodriguez: βHe didnβt know what a thigh pad was or where to put it. Now heβs reading multiple defenses and maybe even a little coverage.β
De Beer has come a long way, certainly. He was forced into the starting lineup because of injuries when the Wildcats played at USC in 2015, the first significant football game action of his life. He started three more games that season, and was impressive enough that he entered 2016 as the starter.
De Beer started eight of Arizonaβs first nine games before suffering a knee injury, one that cost him the rest of the season, all of spring drills and most of the UAβs summer workouts. As a result, he started out behind the eight ball in the competition for right tackle with Creason, who filled in for de Beer while he was hurt at the end of last season.
βIβm torn up, man,β de Beer said. βI had all these visions in my mind of β¦ I was going to work on my pass game, my run game. I was going to get so much stronger and I was prohibited not because of a lack of want to but because of physical ability. Thatβs what killed me most of all.
βThey say control what you can control,β he added, βbut it was what was out of my control that drove me nuts.β
Itβd be hard to tell that de Beer was upset, or hurting, because heβs not the type to complain. Youβd be hard-pressed to find a more affable personality on Arizonaβs roster, a positive spirit that would put him well-placed as a motivational speaker after football.
De Beerβs knee is constantly hurting, and he says the pain probably wonβt go away this season, but heβs not using that as an excuse either.
βIβm one of those people that believes everything happens for a reason. If God sends something my way to challenge me, what am I going to do? Am I going to lay down or am I going to stand up and be a better player afterwards?β de Beer said. βThe past is the past and Iβm going to do everything I can, right now, in this moment, in every practice, in every film session we have, in every single rep we have β be it mental, physical, doesnβt matter β Iβm going to do everything I can to prepare to be a better player.β
De Beerβs approach is rubbing off on his teammates, too.
βIt pushes all of us,β center Nathan Eldridge said. βWe see that and heβs out there battling and weβre like dang, heβs hurting and heβs pushing through it, that makes us go even harder.β
The position battle is certainly not over yet β the Wildcats have held just 12 practices, and thereβs still time before the Sept. 2 opener against Northern Arizona for de Beer to catch up. But the South African probably still wonβt be 100 percent by then, or at all this season.
βIβm still hurting, but Iβm fighting through it and Iβm going to do whatever I can to get ready for the season,β de Beer said. βI have made peace with the fact that Iβm probably going to be playing with pain in-season, but which offensive lineman in the country doesnβt? Show me and Iβll tell you youβre a liar.β
Recently, during a moment of frustration, de Beer pivoted to reflection. He thought about his first days of football, not understanding gear or football nomenclature. He jokes now that, looking back, it was βarrogantβ of him to think he could just come play football at a Pac-12 school, on national television, simply because he wanted to.
But now heβs here, a senior, unsure of whatβs next. He might not even start this season, at least not at the outset. But thatβs fine.
At least now he knows how to put on shoulder pads.
βThe other day I was so frustrated with my injury that I just took a step back and I looked and I said, βWow, Iβve really come a long way,ββ de Beer said. βBut I have a lot more down the road to go.β
