Indiana Football Scholarship, Team Award Established in Honor of Chris Beaty
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Chris Beaty loved Indiana football, and on Thursday, the program loved him back even more, establishing an endowed football scholarship in his name plus a new annual team award.
Beaty played football and Indiana from 2000 to 2003, and the former Cathedral High School star was a huge supporter of the program afterward. He was a popular figure in the Indianapolis entertainment industry, but was killed last May during the protests over George Floyd's death. He was shot while trying to help two women who were robbed.
The scholarship will be given to a student-athlete from the state of Indiana, preferably one who started his career at a walk-on. The team award was given out for the first time at Indiana's banquet on Thursday. The Chris Beaty Outstanding Walk-On award was given to Davion Ervin-Poindexter and Christian Harris.
Here is the official release from the school:
Indiana University Athletics and IU Football announced on Thursday the establishment of a new endowed football scholarship and a new annual team award in honor of the late Chris Beaty.
Beaty, who played football at IU from 2000-03, was tragically killed May 30, 2020, during the protests that gripped Indianapolis in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. Beaty died a hero after selflessly rushing to the aid of two women who were being robbed. He was only 38 years old.
The Chris Beaty Indiana Football Scholarship was made possible by a $100,000 gift directed by his mother, Debra Cooper, of Indianapolis. It will be awarded annually to an Indiana Football student-athlete from the state of Indiana with preference given for a student who began his career as a walk-on.
In addition, IU head football coach Tom Allen has announced that the team’s annual Walk-On Award has been renamed the Chris Beaty Outstanding Walk-On award. Davion Ervin-Poindexter and Christian Harris were the inaugural recipients of the award, which was presented at last week’s IU Football Awards Ceremony.
“Chris Beaty loved Indiana, loved Indiana Football, and loved people. He was a very caring, selfless, and passionate person. I have said it before and I will say it again, Chris lived out LEO. His support was unwavering. Chris will always be a special person to our program and to the University,” Allen said.
Affectionately known as “Mr. Indianapolis”, Beaty was an active and beloved member of the Indianapolis community. It was there that he starred at Cathedral High School in the late 1990s, which paved the way for him to join Cam Cameron’s Hoosier team in the fall of 2000 as a walk-on. After spending his first season with Cameron, he played his final three seasons for Gerry DiNardo. Following his playing days, Beaty remained loyal and actively engaged with Indiana Football as an alumni regularly attending games and events.
Days after Beaty’s death, a GoFundMe page was started with the intention of donating the proceeds to Indiana University and Indianapolis Cathedral High School to establish scholarships in his honor. Over 1,700 people generously supported the effort. The Chris Beaty ’00 Endowed Memorial Tuition Fund at Indianapolis Cathedral High School was made possible by a second $100,000 donation and was announced earlier this year.
Related stories on Chris Beaty
- CHRIS BEATY'S FINAL MOMENTS: Friends talk about Chris Beaty's final days and how he died helping someone else, which is what he was all about. "He died trying to help others.'' CLICK HERE
- INDIANA'S CHRIS BEATY KILLED: Popular Indianapolis businessman and former IU football player Chris Beaty was killed Saturday night. CLICK HERE
- MURAL A LABOR OF LOVE: For Indianapolis artist Andrea Townsend and Anna Martinez, it was an honor to capture Chris Beaty in an 8-by-12 mural in downtown Indianapolis. CLICK HERE
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