100-Day Bulldog Countdown: 66 Days, Former No. 66 Ben Beckwith

Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.

After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them over the course of the next few months.

As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.

Today, we look back at a former walk-on that turned himself into an All-American offensive lineman.

66 Days: Former No. 66 Ben Beckwith

There might not be a better story at MSU in the last decade plus than the one that Beckwith was able to write. From an unranked walk-on to a starter in the Southeastern Conference and All-SEC member, he made the most of his time in Starkville.

That journey for Beckwith began in Benton where Beckwith starred for the Benton Academy Raiders both on the basketball court and the football field. Beckwith was productive on the offensive and defensive lines but went under the radar at the small Academy school. He did get an opportunity to walk on during the 2010 season, and he took it just to get a chance to play in the SEC.

Beckwith redshirted his first year on campus and watched as the Bulldogs returned back to prominence and make a bowl game in Dan Mullen’s second season. He would end up being a part of five bowl games during his Bulldog career with State winning three of them.

After that redshirt year, Beckwith was getting his opportunities on the field. It started with work on the special team lines for punts and kicks and he participated in 23 games over the course of the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In 2012, he got a chance to play on the offensive line for the Jackson State contest and cut his teeth offensively. That prepared him for much bigger things during his junior year.

It was fate that got Beckwith his chance in 2013. Starting guard Justin Malone went down with an injury at the beginning of the season and offensive line coach John Hevesy thrust his former walk on into action. What happened next was 12-consecutive starts out of Beckwith in which he would become one of State’s most productive linemen. It was fitting that Beckwith’s rise also came at the same time Dak Prescott got his opportunity to be MSU’s starting quarterback and the two both helped MSU take the next step in 2014.

Beckwith started all 13 games as a senior and finished his career with 25-straight starts. He even showed some versatility when he was the team’s center against Texas A&M, a week after Dillion Day had been suspended during MSU’s win against LSU. Those two ball games saw Beckwith earn SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors and started MSU’s breakthrough to number one in the country.

The Bulldogs defeated three-straight top 10 opponents (LSU, A&M and Auburn) to get to No. 1 and Beckwith was as big a part of it as anyone. He earned another Offensive Lineman of the Week honor against Vanderbilt later in the season and was one of the SEC’s best all year long.

By the end of his senior year, Beckwith was named First-Team All-SEC and a Third-Team All-American. It capped a magical run for him that long surpassed his days at Benton Academy and as a walk on with the Bulldogs.

An opportunity in the NFL came shortly after the college career ended as Beckwith was a member of the San Diego Chargers. The years of wear and tear on his knees took a toll and he has since begun his professional career in the business world, but Beckwith will forever be able to say he was one of the best in the best conference in college sports.