By Doug Harris
Dayton football coach Rick Chamberlin received a recruiting tip about a top linebacker at Ada High School a few years ago and drove to a practice to get a glimpse for himself.
But the prospect, Chris Beaschler, spent the day in the trenches at offensive guard, which wasn't a good sign. The kind of athletic ability needed to play linebacker at UD's level typically isn't found there.
Chamberlin was ready to write off the visit as a wasted trip, but the Ada coach intervened.
"He said, 'Coach, he's playing guard for us out of necessity — not because of his (lack of) speed. We'd play him at a more skilled positon, but we need him at the offensive line,' " Chamberlin recalled. "That was good to hear."
Any remaining doubts Chamberlin had were erased when he saw Beaschler's senior tape.
"I was just impressed. He had a good football sense. He understood what was happening around him. And he had the athletic ability to make plays," Chamberlin said.
The 6-foot-1, 226-pound Beaschler committed to the Flyers and has been everything the coaches hoped they were getting and more.
The fifth-year senior is a first-team All-Pioneer Football League pick and led the Flyers in tackles last season with 110, jacking his career total to 293.
He's been a consistent presence in opposing backfields, too, notching 21.5 tackles for loss. And Beaschler studies as hard as he plays. He was named first team CoSIDA Academic All-America in 2015 as well as the PFL co-scholar athlete of the year. He has a 3.73 GPA in mechanical engineering.
"I really feel he's an example of the way a young man, when he comes to the University of Dayton, can be successful on the football field and in the classroom," Chamberlin said. "You don't have to choose one or the other. You don't have to go to a school because it has great academics and football is average. You can get both here at Dayton. Chris is the poster child for that."
Beaschler comes from an athletic family. His father, Ron, is entering his 30th year as the Ohio Northern wrestling coach, while his mother, Christy, was an All-American swimmer for the Polar Bears and an inductee into their Hall of Fame.
But academics also were stressed in the household.
"I grew up in a disciplined home," Chris said. "You had to get your homework done before dinner. It's not like they were too strict with us, but it's something they instilled in us.
"They always taught us boys — I have an older brother and younger brother — to understand that sports may be our passion and love, but academics are what will take you far in life. Sports are going to end eventually, but academia will last forever."
Still, having a coach for a father had its benefits, too. Ron Beaschler had some experience playing football and could pass along suggestions.
"He has a coach's mentality, obviously, and we would sit down after games and watch the film together, and he'd point out things that maybe I couldn't see on my own — looking for what defensive coaches want to see. That was always a big help," Chris said.
Chamberlin has been amazed at Beaschler's cerebral approach to the game and his knack for anticipating plays to put himself in the right positions.
He's only the sixth two-time captain in UD football history, and Chamberlin knows why Beaschler is so well-respected.
"When you meet him, he has that persona about being a very confident young man, but he's not cocky," Chamberlin said. "He believes in what he can do."
Beaschler hasn't forgotten anyone who's helped him along the way. He credits his high school position coach, Frank Crea, for passing along the proper fundamentals. And he's grateful for the guidance he's gotten from his academic advisor at UD, Margie Pinnell.
But he reserved the highest praise for Chamberlin, who is in his ninth year as head coach and led the Flyers to their first FCS playoff berth last season.
"He's really a players' coach. He wants to take care of his guys. He wants to make sure their well-being is taken care of," Beaschler said. "We have a great respect for him, and he respects us. He's had not only a great impact on me, but on the entire team."
The Flyers are thrilled to have Beaschler back for a fifth year. As a non-scholarship program, UD is accustomed to having players move on after four years even with eligibility left because of the expense.
"I thought about it," Beaschler said. "Financially, it was a big decision. But it was an easy one to make.
"Sports is a limited thing that runs out for everybody. If I can string that along, I'm going to make it last."
