Redshirt junior offensive lineman Gerhard De Beer has one of the most unique stories on the Arizona football team.
 
The Pretoria, South Africa native started his athletic career at the University of Arizona as a discus thrower on the track & field team. The track star had eight top-5 finishes, finishing first at the ASU Duel in the Desert and Pac-12 Championships in 2015.
 
While walking to class one day, Coach Rich Rodriguez noticed all 6-foot-7-inch, 315 pounds of De Beer, who has to sit in the aisle of some lecture halls because he is simply too big for the chairs, walking through campus and the rest is history.
 
Having never played a down of football in his life, De Beer spent the first year of his time at Arizona learning how to put pads on and how to play the sport he had only known from a video game. 
 
After spending 2014 on the scout team, De Beer saw action in all 13 of last year's games, earning his first of four consecutive starts against USC. 
 
We recently chatted with De Beer, who shared his thoughts on football, coming to the United States, and all the rumors about him learning to put pads on.
 
What was the hardest part about leaving South Africa? 
A: "I would love to say it was leaving my family and my friends, but it is the food. The food back home is a lot richer, the country isn't so widespread so doesn't travel a few thousand miles just to get to a destination. We don't have as many preservatives in it, so products would go bad quicker, but they taste a lot better."
 
Were you overwhelmed with how much you had to initially learn about football?
A: "Oh definitely. The first thing was to understand how to put pads on. It is a rumor but it is true. People would always ask me, 'you didn't know how to put your pads on?' Imagine trying to teach a nine year old how to put pads on for the first time, it was the same thing. I was trying to figure out where this goes and what the big thing is that goes on my head. Football wise, the biggest thing was taking it day by day. You can't rush this. The coaches said they would be patient with me, and little did I know that patience meant a long time. I wanted to play my redshirt freshman year, but I just wasn't ready so I spent two years on the scout team. Looking back at it, I am very grateful, but at the time I was a little frustrated, but you don't know what you don't know."
 
Having played rugby, do you use any of that technique or any skills you learned on the football field?
A: "Honestly, no. The only relatable thing between rugby and football is the physicality of it. You hit people without pads in rugby, but there is a lot more technique involved when you hit someone to keep yourself safer. In football you hit people with pads on so you're automatically a lot safer, that is the biggest comparison I can make. Nothing we did in rugby is similar to what we do in football at all."
 
How have your coaches received you as a two-sport athlete?
A: "They've been great. They have been really flexible with it, and were willing to work with me. I only got to practice a half of a practice a week during spring ball because I was on a track and field scholarship, but ever since I got switched I got to participate in all of spring ball. When outdoor track and field started, and we were done with spring ball, they let me go work out with track and field."
 
Is there any difference in the way you prepare yourself for a track meet and a football game?
A: "Oh yeah. 100%. There is such a different mentality. When you look at football, it is still you, and you have to take on another man. The difference with football is that if you don't take that man on, you are going to let your teammates down. If you lose in track and field, it is you and only you, so you get to bear that responsibility. Preparing for track and field is all about technique, preparing for football is getting ready to go hit somebody; it is a totally different mindset."