Oak Harbor resident Pat Beach will be inducted into the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.

Beach, 55, is one of 25 in this year’s class who will be inducted at events set for Sept. 18 and 19 in Spokane and Pullman.

Beach played tight end for the Cougars from 1978 to 1981 and was named to the Sporting News’ first-team All-American squad.

“I was surprised — anyone would be,” Beach said about his selection for the Hall of Fame.

“I wasn’t a great player,” he added. “I had a good career, so I was surprised by the honor.”

The Pullman native caught 63 passes for 936 yards and five touchdowns during his WSU career, then was a sixth-round draft choice of the Baltimore Colts.

He played for the Colts through 1991, then spent a year each with the Philadelphia Eagles and Phoenix Cardinals.

His most productive year as a pro receiver was 1985 when he recorded 36 receptions for 376 yards and six touchdowns.

In all, he grabbed 163 passes for 1,558 yards and 14 touchdowns as a professional.

He moved to Oak Harbor during his final year of professional football in 1993 and opened up the Whidbey Island Dive Center.

He said he chose Oak Harbor because of the beauty of Whidbey Island and its proximity to most of his family.

He became interested in diving through his brother, who is a mariner biologist.

“He had some scuba gear, so we messed around with it,” Beach said.