Indiana University Athletics
Senior Profile - Tyson Beattie
7/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 26, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Earlier this summer, Indiana punter Tyson Beattie returned home to Attadale, Australia for a five-week visit. Not only did it mark the first time that Beattie had seen his family in a year, but it also revealed an interesting parallel between his life on and off the field.
"It's amazing how fast time goes by," Beattie said. "As time goes on, it shows you how important it is to savor the moment and enjoy an experience as much as possible."
As he heads into his final season at Indiana, Beattie is on pace to become the Hoosiers' career leader in punt attempts and yardage. While the individual accolades are nice, they pale in comparison to the big picture.
"We have learned a lot from the seniors each year that I have been here," Beattie said. "One of the big things is that they always talk about how quickly it goes and to give 100 percent in everything you do. The biggest legacy for this senior class is to help the program get back into a bowl game."
IU's senior class of 2006 is a battle-tested group, and this experience should pay dividends this fall.
"It's amazing, night and day different," Beattie responded when asked about the biggest difference between his freshman and senior seasons. "I have been through everything you can possibly go through as a football player. You learn to cope with it all in order to make your ability come through and realize your potential."
In his second season, Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner has established a strong sense of accountability throughout the entire program - on the field, in the classroom, in the locker room and in the community.
"It is strange getting a whole bunch of guys on a football team together, because there is so much specialization (among position groups) that it makes it difficult for everyone to come together," Beattie said. "But these guys really gel. It does not matter where you're from, we have really developed family unity."
Hoeppner and Co. are counting on the Hoosier Nation to help the team "Defend The Rock" - Memorial Stadium - seven times this fall.
"And we have two more games in the state of Indiana," Beattie said, pointing to road contests at Ball State (Sept. 9) and Purdue (Nov. 18). "Having the seven home games is great because for one thing, it gives fans more opportunities to see us play, but big crowds also give us a tremendous home field advantage. Teams come to Indiana, and they're not used to the (Memorial) Stadium structure, which is different from a lot of other stadiums in the Big Ten. So, if we get a lot of people in the stands, it can make a big difference,"
