Fairbanks High School senior Tyler Beem signs to continue his academic and football careers at Ohio Northern University. He is pictured in the front row with, from left, grandmother Patty Coy, mother Erica Beem, cousin Connor Nicol and grandfather Jon Coy; back row, FHS head coach Patrick Cotter and assistant coach Keenan Chapman.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Fairbanks High School senior Tyler Beem could have continued his athletic career on the collegiate level in one of two different sports.
He had talked to several schools about both football and basketball.
In the end, however, the gridiron won out.
“It was tough to choose between the sports,” said Beem when he recently inked papers to continue his football career at Ohio Northern University.
“Football, though, has always been there for me,” he said. “After our playoff game (at Beverly Fort Frye) last fall, I knew I wanted to play college football.
“Besides, I’m a better football player than I am a basketball player.”
Statistics, however, show that Beem was a pretty solid contributor for the Panthers in both sports.
A tight end-receiver, Beem finished his high school career with 163 receptions for 2,399 yards and 23 touchdowns.
He is first all-time in school history in receiving yards and second only to 2017 graduate Jack Iannarino in receptions.
Beem was also a defensive standout at the end position. He concluded his prep career with 86 tackles (28 for losses) and four sacks.
He recovered a fumble for a touchdown and also returned a kickoff for a score.
Beem, however, was a pretty solid basketball player.
He averaged approximately eight points and seven rebounds per game as the Panthers won 20 games this past winter.
The Panther senior had also looked at Ohio Wesleyan, Wilmington and Wittenberg for football.
Beem also talked to the basketball coaches at Ohio Wesleyan and Wittenberg about possibly playing that sport before he decided on football.
He said there is an opportunity for him to play next fall as a freshman, if “I earn it.
“Ohio Northern is a good football school,” he said. “I like the campus and their business program is also very good.”
Beem, who will study either sports management or business, also said with a laugh, “Their food court is also pretty awesome.”
Fairbanks head coach Patrick Cotter has high praise for Beem.
“He’s been a great player and has worked very hard the past four seasons,” he said. “Tyler set the bar very high for future Fairbanks receivers.
“He made a great decision on Ohio Northern, even though he will be playing against my Muskies (Muskingum University),” the coach said.
“I guess I can root against Muskingum for one game each season.”
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