MIDVALE — Hillcrest may not be known as an athletic powerhouse, but school officials say that’s a misconception they hope to correct.
That effort begins Friday when Hillcrest administrators and coaches celebrate Utah and NFL standout Zane Beadles by retiring his high school jersey.
“As athletic director, my motto has always been ‘As Hillcrest Huskies, we are proud of our past and confident in our future,'” said Hillcrest athletic director John Olsen. “Sometimes Hillcrest athletics gets a bad rap, but the reality is that we have a great history — from athletes like Marty Haws and Rebecca Riddle to Zane Beadles. We want to recognize the ones who paved the way and showed our current athletes what it means to represent our school community as a Hillcrest athlete.”
Beadles will be honored at halftime of the Huskies’ basketball game Friday when Hillcrest hosts region rival Murray at 7 p.m. Olsen said the school chose Beadles for his accomplishments on the field and off.
Beadles graduated in 2005, where he played both offensive and defensive line for the Huskies, earning all-state honors. He accepted a scholarship to play at Utah where he earned all Mountain West Conference honors three times and All-American honors in 2009.
He was drafted in the second round by Denver in 2010 and played in the 2014 Super Bowl, the same year he was a participant in the Pro Bowl. He signed with Jacksonville, where he is a starting guard on the offensive line.
“When I spoke with Zane’s high school coaches, what really stood out was how smart and respectful he was as a student,” Olsen said. “ This is really what we want our athletes to take away from the decision to honor Zane. You can be an incredible athlete, but what ultimately matters is the way you treat people off the field, and that you always take care of business in the class room. Zane represents what we want all future athletes at Hillcrest to be.”
Beadles played both baseball and football at Hillcrest where he was a leader on and off the fields.
“He was an incredible athlete,” said his Hillcrest baseball coach Gary Daniels. “He could have easily played college baseball. … He was a good leader and teammate, academic all-state in football and baseball. Kids looked up to his work ethic. He worked hard every day.”
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