Beasley working on smooth transition from tight end to linebacker

CLEMSON — By now, Vic Beasley has incurred Kevin Steele’s wrath, by his estimation, over 50 times.

That’s normal, par for the course while working with Clemson’s intense, excitable defensive coordinator.

“When you mess up, he goes off on you, he screams,” said Beasley, a redshirt freshman linebacker.

The goal, of course, is to limit the damage.

“(Steele) is a great coach,” Beasley says. “He started out hard on me. I guess as far as you get to know him better, you know your assignments better, you stop getting fussed at (as much). He’s going to always be that type of coach and I like that about him.”

Beasley hopes he made progress towards that goal this spring. The converted tight end spent spring practice as a second-team “Will”, or weakside, linebacker behind junior Jonathan Willard, with hopes his athleticism can help him track down tight ends and tailbacks as part of an increasingly deep linebacker corps.

“I know this is only going to work out for my good now,” he said, “so I’m happy in the position that I’m at.”

Clemson hopes that the talented athlete has found a home. Beasley was rated as the No.37 athlete in America when he signed with CU in 2010, but spent his redshirt freshman year as a tight end, moving across the ball during practices for the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

In high school, Beasley did a little bit of everything; he had 120 carries for 828 rushing yards and seven touchdowns as a senior, seven punt returns with two touchdowns, and also returned his only kick return 80 yards for a score.

But he was equally adept at linebacker, making 102 tackles, 12 for loss, and adding an interception.

“When coach (Dabo) Swinney came to me talk to me about moving to linebacker,” he said, “I was all for it.”

Beasley stands about 6-foot-2, 235 pounds – he’s gained about 20 pounds since arriving on campus.

He feels he’s a natural for covering athletic tight ends, a theory which is tested constantly by Dwayne Allen and Brandon Ford.

“Knowing their offense, being in our offense last year,” he said, “I’ve got a feel for some of our players and how they run their routes.”

Backpedaling, he said, is the biggest difference.

“Being out there catching balls at tight end, it’s then going and dropping back as the biggest thing,” he said. “Getting used to dropping back and covering tight ends.”

Beasley is perfectly capable of filling in gaps and reading guards; his toughness is a definite plus.

Particularly the toughness of his skin.

Of course, working with Steele, that’s a must.

“Being on this defense, you’ve got to be all-out,” he said. “You’ve got to be 100 percent all the time. That’s one thing with Coach Steele, he don’t like no mopers. (I’m working on) my work ethic, not loafing anymore.”