DELHI TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Cornell Beachem Jr. smiles when asked how his Mount St. Joseph University football teammates describe him on the football field.
"Famous or the 'GOAT' but I claim Josh as the 'GOAT,'" the MSJ senior running back/wide receiver said.
Josh is MSJ junior quarterback Josh Taylor, who co-stars with Beachem on the high-powered Lions' offense. Their statistics speak for themselves.
Beachem, a Winton Woods High School graduate, and Taylor, a Western Brown graduate, have already been named Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) players of the week for the Lions (3-0).
Beachem and Taylor enjoy playing the 'Madden' video game and like to joke about who earned the better result. But, their bond goes beyond football.
Beachem's father, Cornell Beachem Sr., died in January, just two months before he won a NCAA Division III wrestling title.
Taylor's father, James Taylor, died in August 2020.
"Losing your dad is one of the hardest things in the whole entire world," Taylor said. "And just having somebody to talk to even before the game - we can feel it. That's what talked about before the first game. We can feel their presence there."
The image of Beachem winning the national title in March and victoriously lifting his 9-month-old daughter Braelyn above his head left a significant impact.
"It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen," Taylor said. "Obviously with his dad passing and stuff I'm able to relate with that a little bit. So just seeing that aspect and then with his kid, holding her up at the end of it - it gave me cold chills for real."
Beachem said his friendship with Taylor is part of why the Lions have been so successful this season.
"I just think I'm somebody he can talk to and he's somebody I can talk to," Beachem said. "If I need words of wisdom or words of advice he's definitely there to give it."
Taylor and Beachem helped to lead the Lions' during their season-opening 31-28 defeat of visiting Baldwin-Wallace Sept. 3.
Taylor was 21 of 32 passing for 265 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He added 15 carries for 58 yards and another pair of scores.
Beachem had 30 offensive touches (22 rushes, eight catches) for 261 total yards, with 341 all-purpose yards overall. Junior wide receiver Joey Newton had seven receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown, too.
"I really like all my teammates," Beachem said. "I love the coaches. And to be able to do it for the school and hopefully we run the table and win everything."
For Beachem, it was his first time back on the football field since 2019. He persevered through a knee injury and the shortened 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"When I was able to get on the field I was on the field every single day," Beachem said. "And then when we got here to camp - me, Josh and a couple teammates hanging out and just bonding really said it all."
MSJ coach Tyler Hopperton said Beachem and Taylor are excellent competitors who enjoy the opportunity to excel during a crucial moment.
"They both have that confidence that, 'Hey give me the ball - I'm going to win the game,'" Hopperton said.
MSJ has four starters on the team who've lost their fathers over the past two years. Hopperton said that adversity in life helps the players connect to one another.
"They're also a beacon for guys who do go through things and how to handle it and ultimately guys that they can talk to as well," Hopperton said.
Beachem and Taylor pray individually before a game. There is no doubt that each is playing with a purpose.
"Last week, I just saw him (pray) and it was like, 'Yeah we are alike,'" Beachem said. "We're going to go out here and perform with everything we've got."
