He previously attended the University of Alberta where he played CIS football as an offensive and defensive lineman and studied kinesiology.

He saw playing time at various positions, including wide receiver, tight end, and the offensive and defensive lines.

[1] In his senior year, Beard was named a second-team All-Canadian and played in the CIS East-West Bowl.

In his CIS career, Beard had only played 16 games as an offensive lineman, and he expected to return to the Golden Bears for a third year at the position.

On September 2, 2022, Beard was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for Jesse Gibbon and an exchange of 2023 CFL Draft picks.