Nate Beasley

Nathan Wayne Beasley (June 11, 1953 – March 10, 2010) was an American football running back. He played college football for the Delaware State Hornets and Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens before being selected in the 1976 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders, though he did not play with them.

Early life Beasley was born on June 11, 1953, in Austin, Texas. The son of Richard Beasley, an Air Force Sergeant, Nate Beasley lived in several different states and countries as a child, including "Japan, Alaska, Hawaii and most of the 50 states", according to The Morning News. He began playing football at the age of eight, while living in Japan. There he played football at Dover Air Force Base High School. He was named best offensive backfield player in 1969. His final career high school match was the Blue–Gold All-Star game held in 1971, in which Beasley scored each touchdown for the Gold as they won 15–12.

College career Beasley committed to Delaware State University in 1971. After spending one year there, he left to attend University of Delaware. In his first year with the "Fightin' Blue Hens", he spent the year as a redshirt, though he still practiced with the team. "I enjoyed practicing with the team last year," Beasley said in 1973, "but it was tough to practice all week and then sit in the stands during the games. But the coaches kept an interest in me and made me feel part of the team." The Blue Hens compiled a 12–2 record and advanced to the playoffs, but lost in the national championship to Central Michigan. Beasley rushed just four times for ten yards in the game due to an injury.

Beasley returned as starter for his senior season in 1975, compiling 172 rush yards (on 34 attempts) in the first two games, even though he was playing through a pulled hamstring. He was named to the weekly conference all-star team following a game against Akron in week four, after carrying the ball 35 times for 168 yards. In a game against Villanova, a fan held a sign saying "Beasley Yards Are Measly". After he made important contributions in the 14–13 win, The Evening Journal published an article titled "Hens' Beasley not measly".

He rushed for 120 yards in the next game, a win over Maine. Though he was performing well in yards gained, Beasley struggled with fumbles, having lost the ball nine times in the first nine games. He fumbled twice versus Maine, which led fans to chant "Hold That Ball! Hold That Ball!" upon his return to the field.

He finished his career at Delaware with 2,697 career rushing yards, placing him second all-time in team history. He also scored twenty career touchdowns and averaged over 70 yards-per-game. He impressed at his first training camp and survived the first wave of roster cuts; however, he was released at cuts in July 1976, ending his professional career.

Later life and death When the Delaware State Hornets and Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens played a football game against each other for the first time, Beasley was named honorary captain. He was inducted into the Delaware Afro-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

After his sports career Beasley dealt with heart issues and died on March 10, 2010, at the age of 56. He was posthumously inducted into the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens Hall of Fame.