Mount Hermon native and former San Lorenzo Valley High three-sport star Jordan Beck is one of seven former Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo student-athletes who will be inducted into the Mustangs’ Athletics Hall of Fame in November.
Beck, a linebacker who began his collegiate football career as a walk on, shined for the Mustangs from 2001-04. He led Cal Poly in tackles all four years and finished with a school record 449 career stops, a mark that still stands. He was named the Buck Buchanan Award winner (FCS Defensive Player of the Year) following his senior season.
Cal Poly-SLO’s 2024 induction class also includes Kyle Shotwell (football), Travis Bertoni (golf), Mike Wozniak (basketball), Traci Granger (swimming), Casey Bloomquist (baseball) and Sierra Hyland (softball).
“It’s humbling and it’s amazing,” Beck said. “There are some amazing athletes and people in that Hall of Fame. I’m excited to go in with my friend and former teammates Kyle Shotwell.”
The HOF ceremony takes place at Cal Poly’s Multi-Activity Center on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. The inductees will also be honored at halftime of Cal Poly’s Hall of Fame football game against visiting Northern Arizona on Nov. 9.
Beck was the first of three consecutive Buck Buchanan Award winners for Cal Poly after notching 135 tackles during his senior season in ’04, a school record at the time. He also had four interceptions, 18.5 tackles for a loss of yardage, 5.5 sacks, and nine pass breakups.
As a senior, Beck was a first-team All-Great West Football Conference linebacker and the league’s defensive player of year. He was named first-team All-America by four outlets, including the American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Foundation, and finished first in the nation (FCS) in solo tackles and forced fumbles, fourth in total tackles and eighth in tackles for lost yardage.
“Reflecting back, I had so many blessings and people who helped me along the way,” Beck said. “They helped me and steered me. It was an unlikely story. Not because I started as a walk on, but because I enjoyed so many other things: skateboarding, snowboarding, playing beach volleyball. … This honor is deserved more by my parents than me.”
Beck recorded double-digit tackles 24 times in 43 career games, including a school-record 23 stops at Montana in ’03, and 22 stops at Eastern Washington in ’04. He made four interceptions in his career, all as a senior, and returned two for touchdowns. He also returned a pair of fumbles for touchdowns.
Beck played in the 2005 East-West Shrine Game at SBC Park in San Francisco.
He played three years in the NFL and finished with 23 career tackles. He was drafted in the third round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2005, but missed his rookie season due to injury. He also played for the Falcons in ’06 and Denver Broncos in ’07.
Beck was inducted into SLV High’s Hall of Fame in 2007. The ’01 graduate shined at football, volleyball and track and field for the Cougars.
Beck is real estate investor in Colorado. He is partnered with Herbies Homes and One Way Property Management. He and his wife, Hillary, have nine children, who range from 3 months old to 17.