It's not foreign to them

If sophomore linebacker Martin Lapostolle or freshman punter Tyson Beattie are ever recognized as All-American players, there will be a certain amount of irony involved. After all, neither one is an American citizen. Lapostolle hails from Montreal, Canada, and Beattie is a native of Perth, Australia. \nWhile both found there was plenty to learn about American culture when they came to Bloomington, they were well heeled in one aspect - how to play American football. \nGrowing up in the far west of Australia, Beattie had numerous athletic accomplishments to his credit at the prep level. Before learning how to play American football, he was involved in Australian-rules football, rugby, cricket, basketball, baseball, and swimming.\nBeattie described Australian-rules as having a mixture of elements from football, rugby, and soccer. \n"It's an oval field, and you punt the ball to your teammate (rather than run or pass it)," Beattie said.\nThe 21-year-old Beattie did not even begin playing American football until he joined a club team when he was 17. Beattie said that the growing popularity of football in Australia has a lot to do with the success of San Diego Chargers punter Darren Bennett, who also hails from "down under." (Coincidently, the man who recruited Beattie, Cam Cameron, is now on the Chargers coaching staff).\n"I like his leg strength. I like his accent," coach Gerry DiNardo said of Beattie. "I don't like his plane fares at all."\nFor Lapostolle, football was his primary sport in high school, though he also played water polo and broomball. Broomball is similar to hockey, except there are no skates, and sticks are traded in for brooms.\nIn high school, Lapostolle played a variety of football that was a mixture of rules used in the United States and those used in the Canadian Football League. Lapostolle said that it was not until the college level that CFL rules like the 55-yard line and three downs come into effect.\nHowever, Lapostolle, who was named the top linebacker in Canada by Rivals.com, never intended to stay in Canada for his collegiate career.\n"Going to an American college was my only goal," Lapostolle said. "I didn't see myself going to a Canadian college at all."\nWhen IU first called him, Lapostolle wasn't even sure where Indiana was. After sending the coaching staff a tape of his high school exploits, though, it was only a matter of time before they flew him in for a visit.\n"I made my visit, and I really liked the place," Lapostolle said.\nBeattie also learned that he was coming to IU through a phone call -- at 3 a.m. local time. He had gotten the opportunity to come to the U.S. to play after getting assistance from Bennett and a number of former collegiate players currently living in Australia.\nThus far for Beattie, the hardest cultural adjustment that he has made is "driving on the wrong side of the road."\nFor Lapostolle, it was a more difficult adjustment to come by. Having spent his whole life in the French-speaking province of Quebec, he came to IU knowing only a few words and phrases in English.\nLapostolle made his name well known in any language last season. He was the hero in the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket when he tackled Purdue running back Montrell Lowe at the one-yard line to preserve IU's 13-7 win. \n"He's a real intense competitor," defensive coordinator Tim Kish said. "He's got a passion for the game, and he works real hard at it."\nUp until the week of the game, he had no idea what the extent of the rivalry really was.\n"People came up to me on the street saying 'You have to beat Purdue,'" Lapostolle said. "After the game, I realized you really don't like Purdue."\nBeattie was also caught unawares by the size of the crowds that show up to football games -- and he has yet to play at 101,568 capacity Ohio Stadium. Beattie said that his parents still don't believe that as many as 30,000 fans will show up to a game.\n"The first few times you go out there it's (the crowd) quite a buzz," Beattie said. "But after the game starts you get into the game and forget about it"