LAFAYETTE — It's not usual for sophomores to start at St. Thomas More but in 2020, an early injury to star safety Josh Stevenson cleared the runway for Nicholas Beckwith to take off.
"We had a big need,” Cougars head coach Jim Hightower said. “He was physically imposing. He was physically ready for the job. He had a lot of inexperience he had to overcome."
"Even though I was young, I was just as skilled and talented as most of the starters,” Beckwith said. “They (coaches) had to figure out a way to put me in."
Beckwith became a key piece in the Cougars’ undefeated run to the Division II state title, and this was all at the age of 14.
"The one thing people don't know about Nick is he's very young,” Hightower said. “He's going to graduate and start college as a 17-year-old."
Beckwith’s maturation only continued as a junior. He finished with 110 tackles, seven pass breakups, and two interceptions in 2021. He also gained an important lesson in patience.
"I learned that you just have to have perseverance throughout the whole season,” Beckwith said. “You have to be with your teammates, trust your teammates, try to get better every single day, and get better every single week."
Standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 200 lbs., his measurables and skills have caught the eye of the next level.
He holds offers from Mississippi State, Virginia, and Air Force. Shining on Saturdays is nothing new for the Beckwith's.
"My uncle and my cousin played at LSU so that was pretty cool,” Beckwith said. “That's where a lot of my athletic background comes from.”
His uncle Darry was an All-SEC linebacker for the Tigers in the late 2000s. His cousin Kendell was an All-American linebacker in 2016.
Plus, his dad, Desmond, played for ULM in the late '90s. All three help to guide him with the recruiting process.
"No matter what, just keep your head up,” Beckwith said. “Keep working. Keep finding ways to get better. Opportunities are going to come. Whoever offers you offers you."
With Beckwith’s background and age, his potential is high. Whatever opportunity lies next, it will be earned and not given.
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