Football is a game of many skills, but above all else, it is a game of teamwork. While other sports can be dominated by individual players, such as a pitcher in baseball or a centre in basketball, football is a game that relies on everybody to act in unison for success, and it all begins on the offensive line.
Therefore, it is no coincidence that the Argo teams that won Grey Cups in 1983 and 1991, and were contenders for the better part of a decade, had a cohesive, close-knit, experienced O-line, and one of the mainstays of that unit was centre Ian Beckstead.
"It's a pretty technical game, and the thing I remember most was five guys playing as one," said Beckstead, an all-Canadian in 1988 who lined up alongside fellow all-stars such as Dan Ferrone and Chris Schultz. "We were pretty good at communicating becuase we were all good friends, and we took a lot of pride in being recognized as one of the best O-lines in the league."
After playing tight end in university, a position that was going the way of the dinosaur in the CFL, Beckstead was converted to the offensive line after he joined his hometown Ottawa Rough Riders in 1981. He came to the Argos late in 1983, and although he received his Grey Cup ring, he didn't become a starter until the year after. He stayed a first-stringer for the duration of his career, which he credits a lot to his teammates and coaches.
"We had a great O-line coach in Ellis Rainsberger," said Beckstead. "He was tough, an ex-Marine and a real hard-nosed guy. He made us repeat a lot of drills, but it all paid off."
Hard work and preparation were key components of Beckstead's game, not only from a physical aspect, but a mental one as well.
"Physical errors will happen, but mentally you should always be in the right spot," said Beckstead, who enjoyed playing teams that mixed up their defences a lot, particularily Winnipeg. "Playing them was a kind of mental gymnastics. They'd overload to one side, blitz and gamble a lot with their linebackers."
Many of the attributes that Beckstead learned and developed on the football field have carried over into his work career. During the late stages of his time as an Argonaut, Beckstead started on his second life as a sales manager for running shoe company Avia. Currently, he is a regional manager for Matsushita, one of the 15 biggest companies in the world, with annual earnings exceeding $100 billion. He is in charge of the Maritimes and Ontario regions, and is responsible for sales, margin, inventory and other aspects of the business.
"I think football helped develop that work ethic, but out in the work world, it takes longer to see the results," said Beckstead, who lives in Oakville with his wife Jean and kids Brandon, Ryan and Laura.
As for looking back on his time with the Double Blue, he has no regrets. "I think I consistently got a little better each year, and I got out on my own terms," said Beckstead.
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