Morehouse's new coach comes back from near-fatal car wreck

ATLANTA (AP) Terry Beauford wasn&#39;t going to let a near-fatal car wreck keep him from his new job as Morehouse coach.<br> <br> In late June, while driving to Atlanta, Beauford swerved to avoid hitting a car with a blown tire, flipped his SUV and was thrown onto the pavement.<br> <br> A passenger in the vehicle wasn&#39;t hurt, but Beauford received a broken right shoulder, cracked ribs, a fractured spine and numerous scrapes. He spent two weeks in a Charlotte, N.C., hospital.<br> <br> ``It was a blessing that I made it through,&#39;&#39; Beauford said. ``My head was busted wide open, all my skin was pulled back and my back was twisted all up. The doctors thought I had brain damage.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> A few days after coming off a breathing tube, Beauford was walking on his own. After being released from the hospital, he returned to his office two days later.<br> <br> ``Everyone said, &#39;Coach, you don&#39;t have to be here.&#39;&#39;&#39; Beauford recalled. ``I told them that this is what I do.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> When Beauford came back, the intensity of summer workouts picked up.<br> <br> ``I made my kids a promise,&#39;&#39; he said. ``I told them that we are in this together. It&#39;s no one-year stop for me. I will have this program turned around.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Beauford&#39;s impact has already been felt. An astounding 55 players showed up for summer workouts, compared with the handful that normally attend.<br> <br> ``There wasn&#39;t a family atmosphere here before,&#39;&#39; Beauford said. ``There were some guys on the team who didn&#39;t even know their other teammates.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Morehouse went 4-6 last season, largely because of a defense that ranked next-to-last in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.<br> <br> Beauford is worried about the depth on the line. Defensive back Robert Harris, who had four interceptions, was the only Morehouse player to earn all-conference honors. Lynn Freeman is the top linebacker.<br> <br> The offense is led by senior John David Washington, who ranked third in the SIAC in rushing with 804 yards and eight touchdowns. But that was a huge dropoff from his sophomore year, when he totaled 1,124 yards and 13 TD&#39;s.<br> <br> Beauford plans to get Washington more involved.<br> <br> ``You can&#39;t practice him with 25 to 30 reps and then give him the ball only a few times in a game,&#39;&#39; Beauford said. ``At some point, he&#39;ll mentally shut down. He&#39;s going to get his carries.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Carlos King will take over at quarterback, with last year&#39;s starter, Duwuan Burton, dropping to No. 2 on the depth chart. Raymond Johnson led the squad with 39 catches for 588 yards. Claiborne Greene and Ervin Bryant, each over 300 pounds, hold down the line.<br> <br> Now that he&#39;s recovered, Beauford believes his team can bounce back, too.<br> <br> ``We&#39;re not playing Tuskegee of old, Albany State of last year or the same Fort Valley State,&#39;&#39; he said, referring to three traditional powers in the SIAC. ``It&#39;s all about now. We&#39;re going to be ready.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)