No. 65, 67 | |||||||||
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Position: | Defensive lineman | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | Bluefield, West Virginia, U.S. | August 11, 1954||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 253 lb (115 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Northfork (WV) | ||||||||
College: | Virginia Tech | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 1977 / round: 3 / pick: 60 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Thomas Lynn Beasley (born August 11, 1954) is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. Beasley won two Super Bowl rings when playing with the Steelers, in the 1978 and 1979 seasons. He played college football at Virginia Tech. His accomplishments at Tech led to his induction into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
Beasley is a native of Elkhorn, West Virginia and played for Northfork High School. [1]
In his senior season for the Gobblers in 1976, Beasley was in on 78 tackles, 11 of them for loss. As a senior, he made the All-South Independent team and was honorable mention All-America as the Gobblers posted a 6–5 mark. [2] After his senior season he was selected to play in the Blue-Gray game and the American Bowl, [3] highlighting senior standouts.
Beasley was the 60th overall pick by the Steelers, going in the third round of the 1977 draft. In 1979, he established what was then a Steeler's record with 11 solo tackles in a start against the Houston Oilers. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the week for his effort. [4] He ended his career with 11.5 sacks, his best year coming in 1982 when he had 6.5 for the Steelers.
His son, Chad Beasley, also played for Virginia Tech and in the NFL. [5]
Bruce Bernard Smith is an American former professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, where he was a twice All-American, and was selected with the first overall pick by the Bills in the 1985 NFL draft.
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 12-year career as a safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). An eight-time Pro Bowl and six-time All-Pro selection, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, his first year of eligibility.
James Alfred Farrior is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. He played with the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and earned two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers.
Charles Edward Greene, better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 to 1981. A recipient of two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, five first-team All-Pro selections, and ten Pro Bowl appearances, Greene is widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive linemen to play in the NFL. He was noted for his leadership, fierce competitiveness, and intimidating style of play for which he earned his nickname.
Michael George Vrabel is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a consensus All-American. Vrabel then played in the NFL for 14 seasons, primarily as a member of the Patriots, where he became a three-time Super Bowl champion and a First-team All-Pro during his eight-year tenure. Noted for his versatility, Vrabel scored a receiving touchdown in consecutive Super Bowls, Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX, becoming the only primarily defensive player to score in two Super Bowls.
John Harold Lambert is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for his entire 11-year career for Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 as "the greatest linebacker of his era," Lambert was the starting middle linebacker on four Super Bowl-winning teams with the Steelers. He played college football for the Kent State Golden Flashes. In 2019, he was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
David Steven Brown was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1975), Seattle Seahawks (1976–1986), and Green Bay Packers (1987–1989). He was selected as a second-team All-NFL player in 1984 and a second-team All-AFC player in 1985. His 62 career interceptions ranks tied for tenth in NFL history, with only five players having more interceptions in a career since his career ended in 1989. His 50 interceptions with the Seahawks remains a club record.
Cornell Desmond Brown is an American football coach and former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for Virginia Tech, and earned All-American honors twice. Drafted late in the sixth round of the 1997 NFL draft, he played professionally for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. In 2013, Brown was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
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Russell Scott Grimm is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans. As a professional, Grimm had multiple selections to both the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Grimm played 11 seasons for the Redskins and was a first-team selection to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.
Darren Perry is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1988 to 1991. After graduating, he was selected in the eighth round of the 1992 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played in the NFL for eight seasons, seven with the Steelers, but also with the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and New Orleans Saints. Perry retired from playing in 2000.
LaMarr Dewayne Woodley is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Michigan, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. In his second season, he won Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals as a member of the Steelers. Woodley also played for the Cardinals and the Oakland Raiders.
Alonzo Jackson is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL).
Bruce Charles Arians is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2013 to 2017 and the Buccaneers from 2019 to 2021. He was also the interim head coach of the Indianapolis Colts during the 2012 season. Arians is known for his slogan "No risk-it, no biscuit," which encourages aggressive playcalling.
Gabriel Rivera, nicknamed "Señor Sack", was an American professional football player who was a nose tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Rivera played college football for Texas Tech Red Raiders, earning consensus All-American honors in 1982. Rivera was a first-round pick in the 1983 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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The 1954 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute, now known as Virginia Tech, in the 1954 college football season. The team, coached by Frank Moseley, had an 8–0-1 record. The team was ranked 16th in the final Associated Press poll. Three major college football teams had perfect records in 1954, but the Gobblers only prevailed over one team with a winning record, fellow Southern Conference member Richmond, which was 5–4.
FeDerius Terrell Edmunds is an American professional football safety. He played college football at Virginia Tech and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.