Back With More Goals in Mind
May 22, 2023 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
He stands in line at a Catbacker Tour event in Colby, Kansas, on Friday morning. All eight Kansas State student-athletes patiently wait to introduce themselves to the crowd numbering more than 200 at the Meadow Lake Golf Course clubhouse. The microphone finally reaches the end of the line where a menacing yet unassuming young man wearing a burly beard stands in a purple Powercat polo and a gray ballcap that reads "BEEF."
"Hi, my name is Cooper Beebe, and I play football."
Cue the applause. Cue the cheers. Cue the smile from the 6-foot-4, 332-pound native of Kansas City, Kansas, along with a slight nod.
"We have something special for this young man," says Voice of the Wildcats Wyatt Thompson, who serves as the Catbackers event emcee. "Let's wish a big happy birthday to Mr. Cooper Beebe."
The face of the 22-year-old Beebe lights up and he smiles even wider. He receives a happy-birthday balloon along with a white-frosted rectangular cake. K-State men's basketball head coach Jerome Tang and assistant coach Jareem Dowling, who highlighted the western swing of the Catbacker Tour, dash toward the front of the room near Beebe and grab microphones.
"HAPPPP-YYYY BIRTH-DAYYY TO YA!" they sing over and over again as the crowd claps to the beat.
It's an impromptu party with Beebe as the man of the hour.
When it comes to offensive linemen, Beebe could be man of the year in 2023.
Beebe, a 2022 First Team All-American, is a 2023 Walter Camp Preseason FBS All-America selection. He could've left and earned millions as a projected second-to-third round 2023 NFL Draft prospect an interior offensive lineman. Instead, the highest-rated interior lineman in college football is back for a fifth season.
Instead, he stands in the middle of a golf clubhouse in western Kansas proudly holding a cake — and he couldn't appear happier.
"Thank you so much," he says to the crowd.
In the morning hours of January 7, Beebe tweeted a photo of the Terminator with three words in bold block caps: "I'LL BE BACK."
"I'm not a big write-a-whole-speech kind of guy, so I just made the announcement simple," he says.
Those three words — I'll be back — mean so much for a K-State team seeking to repeat as Big 12 Champions in 2023.
Beebe, a 35-game starter as both an interior lineman and a tackle, earned First Team All-America honors from The Athletic, ESPN, FOX Sports and Sporting News after starting all 14 games at left guard for the Wildcats, who finished No. 14 in the AP Top 25 poll after a 10-4 season that included an appearance against No. 5 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
But when it comes to last season, the Wildcats' 31-28 overtime victory against No. 3 TCU to capture the Big 12 title first comes to mind for Beebe.
"Sitting there watching the goal-line stand was incredible," Beebe says. "Going out there on offense, we knew we just needed a field goal to win. We got into field goal range, and I was out there smiling, and we knew the field goal was good before Ty Zentner kicked it. I was on field goal unit. I wasn't sure what to do after the kick. I started running around to find people to celebrate with. I tried to shoulder bump with Deuce Vaughn, and he ran right by me. He didn't even see me.
"But just to see all the hard work pay off, all the tough early-morning workouts and all the hot days, all paid off for us. It was really special."
So, too, are Beebe's draft prospects following his final season.
The CBS Sports 2024 mock draft has Beebe going with the No. 18 overall pick to the New Orleans Saints while Fox Sports has him going with the No. 24 overall pick to the Seattle Seahawks.
But why? Why come back for 2023? Simple.
"My little brother, Camden Beebe, will be here and I just want to make sure he's put on the right track," Beebe says. "I want to teach him everything I know so it can prepare him for success.
"I haven't really talked about this a lot but one of the other reasons I'm coming back is I want to try and put my name into contention for the K-State Ring of Honor. There isn't an offensive lineman up there yet. I'd be the first. I have high hopes for myself. You see all the signage in the indoor practice facility of the Ring-of-Honor members, and I think to myself, 'Why not me?'
"I want to be a Consensus All-American this year and see if I can put my name into that conversation."
What does K-State mean to Beebe?
"K-State means everything," he says. "It's given me my education. I just graduated this past weekend. It's set me up for life."
Beebe is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Catbacker Tour, which began Wednesday in Great Bend and Scott City, then hit Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City on Thursday, and then reached Colby and Hays on Friday.
"I enjoy getting out and meeting the fans, especially in the western half of the state," Beebe says. "It's super exciting to meet everybody. A lot of these guys don't often get to come see a lot of games."
When they do get the opportunity to visit Bill Snyder Family Stadium in the fall, they'll see Beebe, arguably the nation's best offensive lineman, who's back for one more year.
He stands in line at a Catbacker Tour event in Colby, Kansas, on Friday morning. All eight Kansas State student-athletes patiently wait to introduce themselves to the crowd numbering more than 200 at the Meadow Lake Golf Course clubhouse. The microphone finally reaches the end of the line where a menacing yet unassuming young man wearing a burly beard stands in a purple Powercat polo and a gray ballcap that reads "BEEF."
"Hi, my name is Cooper Beebe, and I play football."
Cue the applause. Cue the cheers. Cue the smile from the 6-foot-4, 332-pound native of Kansas City, Kansas, along with a slight nod.
"We have something special for this young man," says Voice of the Wildcats Wyatt Thompson, who serves as the Catbackers event emcee. "Let's wish a big happy birthday to Mr. Cooper Beebe."
The face of the 22-year-old Beebe lights up and he smiles even wider. He receives a happy-birthday balloon along with a white-frosted rectangular cake. K-State men's basketball head coach Jerome Tang and assistant coach Jareem Dowling, who highlighted the western swing of the Catbacker Tour, dash toward the front of the room near Beebe and grab microphones.
"HAPPPP-YYYY BIRTH-DAYYY TO YA!" they sing over and over again as the crowd claps to the beat.
It's an impromptu party with Beebe as the man of the hour.
When it comes to offensive linemen, Beebe could be man of the year in 2023.
Beebe, a 2022 First Team All-American, is a 2023 Walter Camp Preseason FBS All-America selection. He could've left and earned millions as a projected second-to-third round 2023 NFL Draft prospect an interior offensive lineman. Instead, the highest-rated interior lineman in college football is back for a fifth season.
Instead, he stands in the middle of a golf clubhouse in western Kansas proudly holding a cake — and he couldn't appear happier.
"Thank you so much," he says to the crowd.
In the morning hours of January 7, Beebe tweeted a photo of the Terminator with three words in bold block caps: "I'LL BE BACK."
"I'm not a big write-a-whole-speech kind of guy, so I just made the announcement simple," he says.
Those three words — I'll be back — mean so much for a K-State team seeking to repeat as Big 12 Champions in 2023.
Beebe, a 35-game starter as both an interior lineman and a tackle, earned First Team All-America honors from The Athletic, ESPN, FOX Sports and Sporting News after starting all 14 games at left guard for the Wildcats, who finished No. 14 in the AP Top 25 poll after a 10-4 season that included an appearance against No. 5 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
But when it comes to last season, the Wildcats' 31-28 overtime victory against No. 3 TCU to capture the Big 12 title first comes to mind for Beebe.
"Sitting there watching the goal-line stand was incredible," Beebe says. "Going out there on offense, we knew we just needed a field goal to win. We got into field goal range, and I was out there smiling, and we knew the field goal was good before Ty Zentner kicked it. I was on field goal unit. I wasn't sure what to do after the kick. I started running around to find people to celebrate with. I tried to shoulder bump with Deuce Vaughn, and he ran right by me. He didn't even see me.
"But just to see all the hard work pay off, all the tough early-morning workouts and all the hot days, all paid off for us. It was really special."
So, too, are Beebe's draft prospects following his final season.
The CBS Sports 2024 mock draft has Beebe going with the No. 18 overall pick to the New Orleans Saints while Fox Sports has him going with the No. 24 overall pick to the Seattle Seahawks.
But why? Why come back for 2023? Simple.
"My little brother, Camden Beebe, will be here and I just want to make sure he's put on the right track," Beebe says. "I want to teach him everything I know so it can prepare him for success.
"I haven't really talked about this a lot but one of the other reasons I'm coming back is I want to try and put my name into contention for the K-State Ring of Honor. There isn't an offensive lineman up there yet. I'd be the first. I have high hopes for myself. You see all the signage in the indoor practice facility of the Ring-of-Honor members, and I think to myself, 'Why not me?'
"I want to be a Consensus All-American this year and see if I can put my name into that conversation."
What does K-State mean to Beebe?
"K-State means everything," he says. "It's given me my education. I just graduated this past weekend. It's set me up for life."
Beebe is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Catbacker Tour, which began Wednesday in Great Bend and Scott City, then hit Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City on Thursday, and then reached Colby and Hays on Friday.
"I enjoy getting out and meeting the fans, especially in the western half of the state," Beebe says. "It's super exciting to meet everybody. A lot of these guys don't often get to come see a lot of games."
When they do get the opportunity to visit Bill Snyder Family Stadium in the fall, they'll see Beebe, arguably the nation's best offensive lineman, who's back for one more year.
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