Dec. 5, 2011
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By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - A UCF legend is back at a place he truly feels most comfortable. Hall of Famer Sean Beckton was a star on the field as a player when he caught 196 passes for just under 2,500 yards during his career as a Knight from 1987-90. For the last three seasons, Beckton has served as UCF's secondary coach. But UCF head coach George O'Leary did the expected when he announced recent changes to his staff. He moved Beckton to wide receivers coach, a position he held from 1996-2003.
Beckton just watched redshirt freshman J.J. Worton break his program record for receptions as a freshman with 41. Now he will coach Worton and the rest of a talented, but young, group.
"He's excited about being over there," O'Leary said of Beckton in a recent interview with the Orlando Sentinel. "I think he's back at a position that he feels very, very, very comfortable with, and he relates well to the kids. It should be a nice transition for him."
Beckton has his pupils of the past to point to. That list includes Mike Sims-Walker and Brandon Marshall, who have enjoyed careers in the NFL. But Beckton also helped the development of Siaha Burley, who starred in his two-year career at UCF as a junior college transfer.
Beckton rarely seeks the spotlight and prefers the low key style he is connected with. However, O'Leary points to Beckton's recruiting talents as a big asset for UCF.
"He has a great relationship with many coaches across the state," said O'Leary. "And there are plenty of players on our roster that are here because of the work Sean has done."
Beckton is also a connection to UCF's early years of football development and has seen so much over years. He remains a huge fan favorite of the many UCF fans connected to those Citrus Bowl days where loyal black and gold faithful watched Beckton make spectacular catches.
And no one can question the loyalty in the Beckton family as the father has gotten to watch his son where the same uniform dad wore. Defensive back Sean Jr. will be a redshirt sophomore in 2012 and will now have to get used to his dad's receivers challenging him when spring practice begins.
Beckton will have plenty of weapons to work with. Quincy McDuffie, Worton, Josh Reese and Ranell Hall give Beckton a great nucleus to work with. But as good as those receivers are, they will get better because one of the all-time UCF greats is now paying closer attention.
Knights notes and more:The UCF men's basketball team enjoys a December schedule with mostly home games. The Knights pulled away from Hartford on Saturday for a 67-48 win. Sophomore Isaiah Sykes posted a double-double with a career high 22 points and 11 rebounds. Sykes continues to impress and may be one of Conference USA's most improved players. In addition to Sykes, transfers Tristan Spulock and Josh Crittle are getting more comfortable after sitting out a season. The Knights are back at it Saturday vs. Bethune Cookman...Yes, Conference USA lost a lot of money when Houston lost the conference title game. But give credit to Southern Miss who played a perfect game. Some would argue that having a conference title game can cause what happened Saturday in Houston, cost a team a spot in a BCS game. But ask a UCF player what those conference titles in 2007 and 2010 mean. A conference champion is a champion for life and despite the media's obsession with who plays for and wins national titles, there is great value to winning a conference title... Final thought: I asked my favorite barista (that's coffeemaker for those not hip in Starbucks talk) why the pumpkin-spiced latte is only available during a limited time. He said pumpkins are not always in season. But the snow cone is?
Marc Daniels' From the Press Box runs several times per month on UCFAthletics.com. Listen to Marc during UCF football, men's basketball and baseball radio broadcasts on the UCF Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts The Beat of Sports on ESPN Radio 1080 in Orlando.