Jesse Beckom enters the ’99 season a Cyclone team captain and 1998’s Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year. During his conversation with Gridiron, the talented linebacker discusses the team’s prospects for this season, his own rapid advancement and his Trinity College roots.

Iowa State Daily: Could you just tell us a little about this year’s team? What are some of the strengths, particularly on the defense?

Jesse Backom: Basically, on defense, our D-linemen are giving us a lot more help up front than they have in the past, and we have the security of some good DBs behind us. Everybody’s been working together more, and we’re just more of a unified team.

ISD: What does it mean to the team at this point to be 3-0?

JB: It means a lot. All of the work we did in winter conditioning, spring ball and summer conditioning has meant a lot and now we have something to show for it. It’s like a stepping block for the rest of the season for us.

ISD: How much potential do you think you have for the rest of the season?

JB: We have a lot of potential. I can only see things getting better for us. We’ve put in a lot of hard work, so it’s about time for it to start paying off for us.

ISD: Obviously, starting out 3-0 is a big step for the program, but now that you’re about ready to enter Big 12 play, do you see these upcoming games as more important?

JB: The first three games are important to get under your belt, but the Big 12 means a lot more. First of all, they’re the next games, but it’s also the conference that we play in, so it gives us a chance to prove that we can be competitive in the Big 12.

ISD: Is the team excited about this upcoming opportunity against K-State?

JB: The team’s extremely excited, just because it’s a great chance for us to get started in the Big 12 conference.

ISD: In just one season, you’ve gone from a virtual unknown to perhaps one of the best linebackers in the conference. To what do you attribute such quick progress?

JB: First of all, God gave me the ability. I also attribute it to my coaches, who helped me come along in the Big 12. They’ve kept me working on my drills and helped me to understand football better than I have in the past. Good coaching has gotten me to the point where I’m at.

ISD: You’ve been named ISU’s Scout Team Player of the Year. You’re currently a team captain. Last year, the Big 12 labeled you its Defensive Newcomer of the Year. What do these individual honors mean to you?

JB: They mean a lot. It shows the rest of the world that we have talent at Iowa State, and it shows me that I’m getting better. I know that all the hard work that I’ve done here and that I did at Trinity is beginning to pay off for me.

ISD: Can you talk a little more about the move from Trinity to Iowa State? The Cyclones weren’t exactly a football powerhouse, so what prompted this move?

JB: Originally, I knew they had Division 1 football, but I also knew they had an architecture program I was interested in. So, when I saw the two coincided, I knew this was the place to go.

ISD: Are the schools themselves a lot different?

JB: Yeah, the school I came from was a small, private, Christian school. Coming to a big, secular university, there are a lot of differences. There’s a lot more openness here than there was at Trinity — a lot more freedom.

ISD: Are there any regrets?

JB: No. I wished at first that I could have gone to a bigger school, but it wasn’t there for me. Evidently, God had it in his plan for me to come to Iowa State, and it’s working out pretty good for me.

—Ron DeMarse