Family is a word thrown around frequently in sports.
It’s used to describe the atmosphere in locker rooms and the relationships between coaches and teammates.
Its usage is so prevalent that fans and media members alike may overlook the “we are brothers” and “we are a family” comments.
But a key part of a family is its ability to joke around with each other, which LSU’s junior linebacker Kendell Beckwith displays in spades with his teammates.
“It’s fun playing with him because we always joke on and off the field,” said junior
defensive end Lewis Neal. “That’s my brother. I know his family and he knows my family, We just have fun.”
“Just kidding” sums up Beckwith’s personality off the field, but the junior’s competitiveness on the gridiron is no joke.
Beckwith’s passion and leadership have established him as a cornerstone of the Tigers’ defense, fueling LSU’s relentless drive to the ball.
“Dude’s a great player,” senior linebacker Deion Jones said. “He’s plays hard. He gets after it. He’s got a passion for being a linebacker.”
Although he didn’t break the starting lineup until midway through the 2014 season against the University of Florida on Oct. 11, 2014, the Clinton, Louisiana, native has never looked back, starting 16-straight games.
After posting 77 tackles and two sacks in 2014, Beckwith stepped up his game to another level in 2015, aided by Jones.
Throughout their LSU careers, Beckwith and Jones’ outgoing personalities have translated into an easy friendship and a tendency to troll one another.
When asked what is was like to play beside Beckwith, Jones joked, “It’s terrible. He’s always around. I don’t like him … No,no, I’m just messing. It’s good knowing that he’s always there if I mess up.”
Beckwith’s powerful 6-2 in., 252-pound frame differs greatly from Jones’ slimmer 6-1, 227-pound build, yet their polar opposite playing styles have yielded unprecedented success for the Tigers’ linebacking corps.
While Jones fills the up the statistic sheets with quarterback hurries, sacks, interceptions and tackles for a loss with his speed, Beckwith’s size gives him an advantage in plugging the gaps in the run game.
“He’s fast,” Jones said. “He’s big. He can put you back in the hole. He can run you down. He can hit you. He’s a backer.”
The duo’s ability to play off each other’s strengths has translated into a tie for the Tigers’ team-lead in tackles with 67 tackles apiece, even though Beckwith holds the lead in solo tackles with 41.
Beckwith and Jones were both announced as semi-finalists for the Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker. If either one brought it back to Baton Rouge, he would be the first LSU player to capture the honor.
Although his success is tied with Jones, Beckwith’s family connections extend beyond his fellow linebacker toward his roommates of two years: junior cornerback Tre’Davious White, sophomore defensive end M.J. Patterson and junior safety Rickey Jefferson.
Since meeting Beckwith, who owns four horses, White has become a self-proclaimed “cowboy” during his many visits to Beckwith’s family property.
“Since I’ve known him, I’ve gone to his house plenty of times to ride horses and four-wheelers and go through the woods,” White said. “I learned how to tame a horse being around him … It’s something that I wasn’t into at first, but I like to do it now … I love his parents. They treat me like one of their own.”
The family moniker is often overused, but in the case of Beckwith, it rings true.