Ian Harold Beckles (born July 20, 1967) is a Canadian former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

for nine seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). Beckles was the co-host of the highly-rated ''Beckles and Recher Show'' on iHeartMedia, Inc.'s

WDAE WDAE (620 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida and serving the Tampa Bay area. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a sports radio format. WDAE is one of the oldest radio stations in Florida still broadcasti ...

(620 AM and 95.3 FM) in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

. Beckles was the host of his own program, ''The Ian Beckles Show'' on 102.5 The Bone on Sundays.

Early life and college

Beckles' family emigrated to Canada in 1964. His mother (who passed in early 2009) was native of

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

, while his father hails from

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

. Beckles grew up with his mother in a single-parent home in Montreal and played hockey and baseball as a youth (among his friends was future NFL fullback and Buc teammate Alonzo Highsmith). However, after playing football in high school, Beckles excelled and went on to play junior college football at

Waldorf College Waldorf University is a private for-profit university in Forest City, Iowa. It was founded in 1903 and associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its predecessors. In 2010, it was sold to Columbia Southern University and be ...

Forest City, Iowa Forest City is a city in Hancock and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, and the county seat of Winnebago County. The population was 4,285 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 4,362 population in 2000. History Forest City was offi ...

, earning all-conference honors as a sophomore. Beckles later transferred to

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

and became a standout guard during the 1989 season — his only as a starter. During Beckles' senior year, Indiana produced one of nation's top rushing attacks (214.5 yards per game). Beckles blocked for future NFL quarterback

Trent Green Trent Jason Green (born July 9, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers. He was selected by the San ...

, running backs

Vaughn Dunbar Vaughn Allen Dunbar (born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers, and earned con ...

(an NFL first-round pick) and Anthony Thompson (who won the Maxwell Award player of the year award in 1989), and Ernie Thompson, and alongside standout center Ron Vargo, who played briefly for the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...

Cleveland Thunderbolts The Cleveland Thunderbolts were an arena football team based in Richfield, Ohio. The Thunderbolts were founded in 1991 and were a member of the Arena Football League (AFL). In 1994, the franchise relocated to Columbus The team played for four ...

in the early 1990s. Beckles received attention from NFL scouts as a senior when they turned to film from Indiana to scout, primarily, Thompson. As the team's primary pulling lineman, Beckles stood out on film. Beckles graduated from IU with a BS in business.

Professional football career

Following Indiana, Beckles was selected in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL draft and the first round of the 1990 CFL draft, and started immediately for the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

at right guard. Beckles started seven seasons with the Bucs. During his time, the Bucs had 1,000 yard rushers in

Reggie Cobb Reginald John Cobb (July 7, 1968 – April 20, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a running back for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, leading t ...

(1992) and

Errict Rhett Errict Undra Rhett (born December 11, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Rhett played college football for the ...

(1994, 1995). Beckles, who wore jersey no. 62, departed as a free agent after the 1996 season, signing a deal with the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

. Beckles started two seasons for the Eagles at right guard. Ricky Watters had 1,000 yard seasons in each of Beckles' seasons as a starter with Philadelphia under offensive coordinator

Jon Gruden Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is an American football coach and media personality currently employed by Barstool Sports. After beginning his coaching career in the college ranks and working as a position coach and as an offensive co ...

. Beckles signed with the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

in 1999, but was released prior to the season. Head coach

Bill Parcells Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells ( ; born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He came to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 19 ...

criticized Beckles' conditioning during his time in New York. Parcells, however, told Beckles he would keep him as a veteran backup to the young guards. Beckles told Parcells, at that point in his career, his heart was not in the game enough to be a reserve. After being out of football in 1999, Beckles was in camp with the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

for approximately one month in 2000. Beckles retired after suffering severe cramping due to dehydration.

Publishing, podcasting, and business ventures

In addition to his other charitable and private ventures, Beckles was the publisher and editor-in-chief of What's Hot Tampa Bay Magazine, formerly As.I.Be Magazine, and once published his own website "Flavor of Tampa Bay." He currently hosts two podcasts, "In the Trenches," where he comments on the Buccaneers and other NFL News, as well as the "Plant Power Podcast," where he interviews movers and shakers in alternative medicine and healing. Beckles is a staunch advocate of marijuana legalization. Ian established the Dignitary brand in 2015. His Dignitary Tea and Kava House in South Tampa filled a niche in the South Tampa neighborhood where he currently lives. The establishment's soulful vibe has attracted many customers from various walks of life, and has become a popular, healthy and safe alternative to bars that sell alcohol.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckles, Ian 1967 births Living people Gridiron football people from Montreal American sports radio personalities American football offensive linemen Indiana Hoosiers football players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from Quebec Canadian sportspeople of Guyanese descent Canadian sportspeople of Trinidad and Tobago descent Waldorf Warriors football players Anglophone Quebec people