Athlete 1960 - 1961
Taking a leap of faith to become a Wildcat, Steve Beguin of the Class of 1963 had no way of knowing he was embarking on one of the greatest careers in Linfield football history and his ultimate induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame.
The Beaverton, Ore., native had aspirations of attending the University of Oregon, and spent two years at Menlo, then a community college, to get his academics in order. However, when it came time to transfer, Beguin heard about Linfield from a friend, and after speaking with legendary coach Paul Durham, he decided the Wildcats’ smaller campus and strong programs would be a better fit for him.
With two years of collegiate football under his belt, Beguin had no problem landing a spot on the football team, and certainly made his mark on the gridiron.
His first year in uniform, he totaled 534 rushing yards for a team-high six touchdowns. Averaging 59.3 yards per game, or 4.7 per carry, he led the Wildcats to a 7-2 record.
Beguin’s second and final season coincided with the first Northwest Conference championship in three years: undefeated at 9-0. Linfield took its perfect record into the NAIA playoffs, defeating Whittier (Calif.) 18-7 in the semifinals to advance to the first national championship in program history. Though the Wildcats played Pittsburg State (Kan.) evenly throughout much of the game, an early touchdown was the difference as the Gorillas prevailed 12-7 in the Camellia Bowl.
His senior season was impressive statiscially as well. He rushed for 19 touchdowns on 1,219 yards, an average of nearly 111 yards per game. Accordingly, he was recognized as a first team all-Northwest Conference, first team UPI All-Coast, first team NAIA District 2 selection and received NAIA All-America honorable mention consideration.
Beguin still shares the single-game record for rushing touchdowns (5) and most points scored (30), performances that have yet to be surpassed in 53 seasons.
He also ranks among the Top 10 in the Linfield record books for four single-season totals – including rushing touchdowns and yards – and for five career records, including rushing yards per game (87.7), touchdowns (25) and yards (1,753).
During his time as a student at Linfield, Beguin was nominated as Dormitory Senior Man and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education.
After graduating from Linfield, Beguin enlisted in the United States Navy Aviation Program, where he served on active duty and in the reserves for a total of 20 years. He served two tours of duty – a seven-month, search-and-rescue cruise off the coast of North Vietnam and a one-year stint flying helicopter gunships in South Vietnam – and was promoted to commander.
Beguin took his flying talents to United Airlines as a commercial pilot for 31 years before retiring in 2000. Over the past 37 years, Beguin and his wife Judy have made their home in Aurora, Colorado. Their family includes three children – Stephanie, Nicole and Chad – and seven grandchildren.
