WKU's secondary will regain a very important piece Saturday when the Hilltoppers host Central Arkansas.

Sophomore defensive back Ryan Beard returns to action after being suspended for the first two games this fall for a violation of team rules that dated to the 2008 season.

"He'll work his way back in," WKU head coach David Elson said at his Monday press conference. "But he's going to be working with the (starters) and we'll just kind of see where he's at mentally. But I expect him to be ready to roll."

Beard has been practicing with the team - performing the role of an opposing team's defensive back in each of the first two weeks of the regular season.

He started 10 games for WKU in 2008 and proved to be a playmaker in his first season in a Hilltopper uniform - intercepting a team-high three passes while defending three others and recording a sack.

Elson said that ability should bolster the WKU defense.

"(It's) definitely going to help," said Elson. "He's got some experience, I think he and (sophomore safety) Mark (Santoro) have a good chemistry. He's smart and we need some more production out of that position. From what he's done in the past, that should help us."

Beard actually has missed the Hilltoppers' last three games. He didn't make the trip with the team to its 2008 season finale at Florida International on Dec. 7th after being arrested for alcohol intoxication hours before the team's planned departure for Miami. He had also been arrested in June 2008 for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Elson never specifically cited any incidents for the suspension, but did applaud Beard's maturation during the process.

"I'm really proud of the way he's handled it," said Elson. "He's practiced well, he's been great for the scout team, he's really been a leader down there even all the way back to the spring.

"He's really stepped up and matured. I'm very proud of the way he's handled everything and I'm glad to have him back."