John McClane of the Die Hard series shows considerable courage when he retakes Nakatomi Plaza from Hans Gruber and his international terrorists, but McClane’s bravery and determination pales in comparison to that of Union’s very own Quinn Beasley. A walk-on for the basketball team, he hails from Winchester, Kentucky. Although Union wasn’t on Quinn’s radar the summer before his senior year, his family took precedence over all else, and Union quickly became his first choice.
“Family is my number one thing,” Beasley said. “I want to be close to them.”
He already has three sisters living in Tennessee, and considering his parents are nearing retirement, he knew they would be moving to the Volunteer State soon too.
Beasley played baseball and basketball as a kid, but unlike Michael Jordan, he excelled in both sports.
“I was better at baseball,” he said. “But it was always a little slow for me.”
Basketball’s speed and the accessibility of a team led Beasley to drop baseball in eighth grade, and he joined the Bluegrass Bluehawks. He stayed with the Bluehawks for five years and helped them win three state-titles.
While walking on requires more determination than being recruited by the coaches, once someone becomes a Bulldog, they are on a level playing field. There aren’t really any additional struggles to being a walk-on, but being on the team can be challenging.
“Balancing basketball, academics and being in [Lambda Chi Alpha] was certainly a lot for the first semester,” Beasley said. “But I’ve loved it.”
In opposition to those who chose to skip J-term, getting seven weeks of Christmas vacation, Beasley and his teammates only got one week off. This allowed the team to grow as a unit and stay sharp.
“The amount of time practicing and being on the road has been tough, the time off has been tough, and the playing time, well, everything related to time has been interesting,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed it, and I plan to keep playing. Basketball is not something I’m ready to give up.”
