And Mechanical Engineering is having a blast following him. A third-year offensive guard for the Denver Broncos, Zane Beadles, MEEN BS 2010, played in the 2013 NFL Pro Bowl this past January 27th, in Honolulu. @zanebeadles tweeted, “I feel so blessed! Huge honor to play in the #Probowl. Had a great time getting to know the best football players in the world this week!”
Listed on Beadles’ Denver Broncos profile is a long list of impressive stats and awards. In addition to being selected for the 2013 Pro Bowl, Beadles started all 16 games in 2012 and was the only player to participate in every possible offensive or defensive snap. He allowed just one sack on the season, which tied for fifth-best among guards who started all 16 games. And for his work with, among other initiatives, the Cakes for Cancer program and the Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists, Zane was awarded the Broncos’ Walter Payton 2012 Man of the Year.
Fellow classmates recall Zane’s capstone senior project, the Hybrid Powered Elevator (see video). The need for this particular elevator was motivated by the reconstruction of New Orleans and the new regulations in housing construction with mandatory minimum height of four feet for the “ground” level of housing. That requirement poses problems for those in wheel chairs. A normal ramp is impractical since the high elevation would require a ramp 48-96 feet long, not possible in many locations.
Faculty advisor Professor Don Bloswick notes, “In addition to his leadership role and diverse efforts on the project, Zane took responsibility for the research related to all applicable safety standards and guidelines. This effort was particularly important on this project because of potential injury to individuals with compromised mobility. Zane worked independently to translate available standards and guidelines into design specifications and a final product. Without his work the project simply could not have been completed successfully. I would like to emphasize that Zane leads by example. He is a great leader and team member.”
Professor Bloswick is one of many faculty eager to praise Zane as one of their best students academically and to work with as a person. While a mechanical engineering major, he was a University of Utah offensive tackle and was selected as a first-team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). The FWAA All-America team is the second-longest continuously published team in major college football.
Alumni, faculty and current students continue to follow Beadles’ career with pride.