Shakopee's McBeain 'runs people over'

As a battering ram of a linebacker and fullback, Shakopee's Nicholas McBeain gets his share of bumps and bruises on Friday nights.

One day last week, McBeain winced during practice. Coach Jody Stone asked to see the bruise just above McBeain's kneecap.

"I said, 'Holy cow, look at how swollen that is,'" Stone said. "And then it was like, wait a minute, let me see the other [thigh]. And it was just the same. These kids all wear those long, baggy shorts now. I hadn't seen his legs."

Determined to get stronger in the offseason and build on a four-interception sophomore season last year -- all returned for touchdowns -- McBeain worked with a personal trainer. The results show in the weight room, where McBeain's tree trunk-like legs support 510-pound squats.

"I got explosive," McBeain said.

Opponents have figured that out.

Through five games, and heading into Friday's Missota Conference showdown with likewise undefeated Holy Angels, McBeain leads the Sabers with 62 tackles, 40 more than anyone else. Quarterbacks have all but stopped throwing his direction, leaving McBeain without an interception so far as a junior.

"I try to get there," he said. "But I like hitting people, too. I like contact. That part of the game can be just as exciting."

Barely 6 feet tall, McBeain bulked up to 230 pounds this year, which has added some pop to his already punishing tackles.

"He'll put people on their butts," said sophomore Benjamin McBeain, the last of four McBeain brothers to come through Shakopee's program. "He's fast, quick and knows what is going to happen. He just runs people over."

Nicholas McBeain's frame is almost all muscle, and it's been enough to attract a slew of phone calls from college coaches and a mailbox full of recruiting letters.

Tempting as it is to get excited about the prospect of playing at the next level, McBeain knows most interested parties are in wait-and-see mode.

"They can see I'm not 6-3 or anything," McBeain said. "So I feel I have to go out there every single play and never slow down. I'm not the type of athlete that can go out there knowing I'm going somewhere. I have to push it, or I'll have no chance."

Stone appreciates the constant effort, but said McBeain should be mentioned with the best.

"He'd help any Big Ten team, I'll vouch for it," Stone said.

Scouting an opponent's game film is as important a weekly preparation as the final walk-through. Stone generally will let the tape roll until he sees something special.

"Some of these [Division-I recruits] we see on film it's like, 'Nah. I'm not going to stop the film and wonder what to do with this,'" Stone said. "But when you watch [McBeain] make a tackle, it's just an explosion and it seems effortless."