Bequette excelling in courtroom as he did on gridiron
May 14-20, 2012
George Bequette saw his son – and eventually his grandson – follow in his footsteps as a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks. And while Jay Bequette did not continue his father’s tradition in the insurance business, he nevertheless fulfilled his father’s longing for his son to get a law degree.
Today, Jay Bequette is enjoying his 25th year of practicing law. The Little Rock lawyer – at Bequette & Billingsley, P.A. – believes one of his sons will also attend law school, although former Razorback football star Jake Bequette will have to put that on hold for now after being drafted in April’s NFL Draft by the New England Patriots in the third round.
“I knew I wanted to be a lawyer,” Jay Bequette said. “My Dad was with State Farm. He had been an agent for about five years and was in management for about 20 or so years. One of his jobs was to recruit agents to the company. He was always real impressed with lawyers and had recruited a lot of them. He always impressed on us as kids what a great education lawyers had and that you could do almost anything you wanted with that education, whether it was as a lawyer or in other business.”
Jay Bequette played center for Lou Holtz and the Razorbacks from 1980-82. He earned his B.S.B.A. in 1983, and following a year in professional football and two years as a graduate assistant for Ken Hatfield at his alma mater, he received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas law school in 1987.
George Bequette thought his son would follow in the insurance field, but it was a grade-school event that triggered something inside of Jay.
“My school held a mock trial, and another thing Dad had encouraged me to do was to be on the debate team,” Jay said. “I ate that stuff up. I loved debating.”
Jay Bequette did consider the insurance business, and even traveled to St. Louis for an interview in that field. He liked coaching, and considered that field, too. He chose the legal profession.
In 1987, Ted Skokos, a then-Little Rick attorney, was a nephew of some friends of Jay’s in-laws in Dallas. After telling the in-laws that he was looking to begin practicing law in Little Rock, he was advised to give Skokos a call. Skokos advised that the prosecuting attorney’s office was a great place to start out in the legal profession.
“I gave (Skokos) a call and the next thing I know, I’m here,” Jay said. “I started as a deputy prosecutor.”
Jay and his wife, Cindy, have lived in Little Rock ever since.
After initially working with then-prosecuting attorney Chris Piazza, two years later Jay joined the law firm of Skokos, Coleman & Rainwater. It’s essentially the same firm where he resides today of Bequette & Billingsley. Primarily trial lawyers handling litigations, the firm handles everything from education law, business litigation and some corporate work.
Bequette last played football in 1984 with the now defunct USFL’s Oklahoma Outlaws.
That team’s quarterback was future Washington Redskins Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams. Jay had originally been an undrafted free agent with the Redskins. His final training camp was with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers.
As a graduate assistant for the Razorbacks, Jay was able to coach his younger brother, Chris. Chris Bequette now owns a wealth management firm in Champaign, Ill., where he manages financial affairs for several professional and college coaches.
A quarter of a century into his legal career, Jay Bequette compares preparing for a trial as the same excitement as “putting on the silks and going under the lights to play football.”
Jay and Cindy have three sons: the aforementioned Jake; Sam, a junior at Auburn
University in Alabama; and Joe, a freshman at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
The Bequette had heard that Jake, an All-SEC defensive end for Bobby Petrino’s Hogs, would be drafted anywhere from the third to the sixth round of the NFL Draft.
Realistically, they believed he would go in the fourth or fifth round.
Cindy’s family from Dallas joined the Bequettes and their sons at their Little Rock home on the night of April 27.
“That was a fun night,” Jay said. “We had dinner at the house. We were sitting around the table at about 9:30 (p.m.) or so when Jake and two others went to the back of the house by the big TV and started watching the draft. It was getting around 10 o’clock when I noticed Jake on the phone walking around. I could tell by his voice that it was an important call. He walked into where we were sitting and I heard him say, ‘Well, Coach Belichick, I’m looking forward to being with the Patriots.’ Then he said, ‘Mr. Kraft, I can’t wait to get to New England.’”
Bill Belichick is the head coach of the Patriots, while Robert Kraft is the franchise’s owner.
Jake graduated from Arkansas in three years and wanted to attend law school, but due to football responsibilities was unable. “Jake definitely wants to go to law school someday,” Jay said. Jake is actually a III, with Jay a junior and the late George Bequette, who passed away in March 2011, a senior.
Jay was able to be Arkansas’ honorary captain at the 2011 Sugar Bowl. He played in the 1980 Sugar Bowl against Alabama.
Jay said his family had traveled a lot during Jake’s playing days at Arkansas, but knows seeing every NFL game will present a different challenge. Fortunately, New England opens its 2012 regular season at Nashville, Tenn.
Jake Bequette has hired Los Angeles sports agent Dave Dunn.
Listed above is the complete schedule for the upcoming season for the New England Patriots.
