The stories of Gerhard de Beer’s first days playing football are legendary at this point, and the Arizona senior offensive lineman laughs about them because, well, they really are funny.
Coach Rich Rodriguez likes to tell the one about de Beer pulling thigh pads out of his locker for the first time, turning to his teammate and asking what they were.
De Beer, from Pretoria, South Africa, had never played football in his life. He was at Arizona on a track and field scholarship when he decided to give football a try.
De Beer started out as a defensive lineman and moved to tight end before settling in on the offensive line.