Vic Beasley, who led the NFL in sacks last season and helped the Atlanta Falcons reach the Super Bowl, will be the featured speaker at this year's Times Free Press Best of Preps banquet.
The banquet is set for 6 p.m. June 13 at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
In his second NFL season, the 24-year old Beasley led the NFL with 15.5 sacks, earning a Pro Bowl selection and All-Pro honors for the first time.
"Vic Beasley is a special athlete and an exceptional person," said Times Free Press President Bruce Hartmann. "We are excited to bring Vic to Chattanooga to share his story and to help recognize the outstanding student athletes."
"Vic Beasley is an inspiration who fits well with Memorial's mission," said Lisa McCluskey, vice president of marketing and communications for CHI Memorial, which sponsors the Best of Preps banquet. "He's done quite a bit of personal mission work and talks about how his faith has guided him throughout the many challenges.
"We've been a partner since BOP started and we're very committed and proud to be a part of this event, which is a phenomenal way to honor the youth who excel in this area."
Beasley was a three-sport star at Adairsville High School in Georgia, where he was all-state in football and also placed third or better in the 100-meter dash, high jump and triple jump at the state track meet. He turned down scholarship offers from several college basketball programs, choosing instead to play football at Clemson University, where he became a two-time All American, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, and is the program's career sacks leader with 33.
"I love Chattanooga, and I'm excited to get to be a part of a night that honors so many high school athletes," Beasley said. "When I was a kid, my family would come to Chattanooga on the Fourth of July to buy fireworks, and I remember coming to Lake Winnepesaukah a lot, too. In fact, I still come to Lake Winnie about every summer. I love the Cannonball.
"I still keep up with high school sports as much as I can, especially back home, so I'm looking forward to just meeting the kids. Hopefully I can put a smile on their face, but I'm sure they'll wind up putting a smile on my face when I hear their stories, because I'm young enough to remember being where they are just a few years ago."
The 6-foot-3, 246-pound Beasley was the Falcons' first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and the eighth overall selection. A hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker, he is considered one of the league's top rising stars.
His first career sack came the second week of his rookie season when he took down Eli Manning of the New York Giants, but last season was his breakout year with an NFL-best 15.5 sacks as the Falcons won the NFC title to reach the Super Bowl. In one early-season game against the Denver Broncos, Beasley recorded 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and eight total tackles.
"We knew we had great talent and potential even before the season started," Beasley said. "Coach [Dan] Quinn had been with Super Bowl-caliber teams before, so when he told us that he believed we have all the tools to be a championship team, that gave us the confidence we needed.
"One of the biggest reasons we were so successful as a team is because there weren't any individuals wanting more touches or worrying about themselves. We have team players and that's why we established our motto 'brotherhood,' which to us means: are you willing to do what it takes to get it done for your brother?
"That Super Bowl was a disappointing loss, but it's also added fuel to how we're getting ready for next season. We know what we were able to accomplish so we're not down and out, but we're not satisfied yet either. There's a lot more out there for us, and we believe we can get there again and finish it."
Beasley is still very active in helping kids in his community, both at Adairsville High and his hometown in general, and three days after the Best of Preps banquet, he will travel on an eight-day mission trip to Nicaragua to deliver food and clothes and help build houses, sharing his Christian faith with underprivileged families.
"First and foremost in my life is my faith in God," Beasley said. "I grew up with my mom taking me to church, so I've always tried to be a steady Christian. Those early lessons from being involved in church paid off for me and helped keep me out of trouble as a young man, and it's why I want to share my faith with others and why I cherish giving back to my community through [Fellowship of Christian Athletes] or reaching out further to people in need.
"My faith has carried me through some tough times, and that's also the reason my message to everyone else is don't take life for granted. Don't complain about what you don't have because God has blessed us with health and surrounded us with folks who love us, so cherish every moment. On these mission trips you see people in other countries that don't have what we have, and that always reminds me to keep a positive attitude and a smile on my face no matter what."
Contact staff writer Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.