C. J. Beathard

C. J. Beathard
refer to caption
Beathard with the 49ers in 2017
No. 3 – San Francisco 49ers
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1993-11-16) November 16, 1993
Franklin, Tennessee
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight: 219 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school: Battle Ground Academy
(Franklin, Tennessee)
College: Iowa
NFL Draft: 2017 / Round: 3 / Pick: 104
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 5, 2018
Passing completions: 180
Passing attempts: 315
Completion percentage: 57.1
Passing yards: 2,077
TD–INT: 8–10
Passer rating: 72.4
Rushing yards: 162
Rushing touchdowns: 4
Player stats at NFL.com

Casey Jarrett Beathard[1] (born November 16, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Iowa, and was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the 49ers.

Early years

Beathard attended Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. He played high school football for the Battle Ground Academy Wildcats.[2] After his high school football career, he committed to the University of Iowa to play college football.[3]

College career

2012 season

Beathard redshirted during his freshman year at Iowa.

2013 season

In the 2013 season, Beathard appeared in a limited role in five games for the Hawkeyes. On September 21, he made his collegiate debut against Western Michigan. Against the Broncos, he had a 54-yard completion and four rushes for 30 yards.[4] On November 9, against Purdue, he had his first career collegiate touchdown on a five-yard rush.[5] He added another rushing touchdown in his next appearance against Nebraska on a four-yard rush.[6] In the Outback Bowl against LSU, he threw his first career touchdown pass to teammate Kevonte Martin-Manley in the fourth quarter of the 21–14 loss.[7] Overall, in the 2013 season, Beathard had 179 passing yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, 49 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns.[8]

2014 season

Beathard continued his role as a backup in the 2014 season. In the first half against Pitt, starter Jake Rudock suffered a minor injury and Beathard took the field to begin the second half, with the Hawkeyes trailing 17-7.[9] While Pitt had been dominant throughout much of the first half, the team gained a new energy in the second half with Beathard under center. Beathard would take the Hawkeyes to a 24-20 victory.[9]

After a last-minute loss to non-conference in-state rival Iowa State,[10] who would eventually go 2-10 (winless in conference play),[11] fans in the community were vocal with their criticisms of the Iowa coaching staff, citing the conservative play calling, unused potential of players, and the apparent apathy of head coach Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz was in his 16th year of coaching the Hawkeyes, and his contract as head coach was guaranteed until 2020, an extension offered after their 2010 Orange Bowl victory against Georgia Tech when the Hawkeyes finished their season 11-2. Iowa fans were impressed by Beathard's energy against Pitt, and his comeback victory sparked debate about his position as a starter.

Beathard started the following game against Purdue, where Iowa won 24-10.[12] Following their bye week, Rudock was declared healthy by Ferentz, and returned as a starter against Indiana, where they won 45-29.[13] Fan criticism of the program continued throughout the season, as the team continued to lose against the better part of their schedule.[13]

Beathard against the Wisconsin Badgers in 2015

The criticism, informally called the "Iowa quarterback controversy", revolved primarily around Beathard being the deserving man of the starting spot, while some fervent fans called for the firing of Ferentz.[14] The public criticism of the coaching staff was so strong that Iowa athletic director Gary Barta spoke publicly on multiple occasions in support of Ferentz[15] in regards to the issue.

With Rudock at the helm for the remainder of the season, Iowa would go on to defeat Northwestern by a surprisingly large margin in a 48-7 home victory but was defeated in an equally grand way at Minnesota the following week, losing 51-14.[16][17] Wisconsin, and Nebraska, conference rivals and two of the most toughest games on Iowa's 2014 schedule, came to Kinnick Stadium in the final two games of the regular season. Wisconsin, with Heisman runner-up halfback Melvin Gordon, avoided an upset and defeated Iowa 26-24; the Hawkeyes came up short against Nebraska as well, losing in double overtime 37-34 after blowing a 17-point lead.

Iowa received a bid to the TaxSlayer Bowl against Tennessee, and pressure from fans and the media left the Iowa coaching staff uncertain and the need to make a solid decision. CJ Beathard's father, Casey Beathard, made statements to The Tennessean, a local Tennessee media outlet, stating that CJ's future would be evaluated after the game, and that "he's hoping he doesn't have to transfer".[18] Though taken out of context by media, Casey Beathard [19] affirmed that it was not a threat of transfer; regardless, Ferentz made an announcement shortly before gameday stating that both quarterbacks would take snaps during the game, hinting at an on-field competition for the spot.

Both Rudock and Beathard took snaps during the Taxslayer Bowl, and the Hawkeyes lost 28-45. The Volunteers got off to a large start; both Rudock and Beathard had poor drives during the first half, but Beathard handled the majority of second half snaps. Beathard was able to rally the Hawkeyes from a 35-7 first-half deficit, though they were not able to win the game.[20]

Shortly after the TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee, Kirk Ferentz released a depth chart for the following 2015 season—a very irregular time for a coach to do so—which named Beathard the starting quarterback for the 2015 season.[21] Rudock, who was in 2014 a senior and preparing to graduate, had been being recruited by new Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh; and, after Beathard was officially named next season's starter, Rudock transferred to the University of Michigan for graduate study and for his one year of graduate eligibility.[22]

2015 season

Beathard helped lead the 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team to an undefeated 12–0 record during the regular season, as he passed for 2,570 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions during the season.[23] He was selected by both the coaches and media as a second-team player on the 2015 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[24] The Hawkeyes' winning streak came to an end in the 16–13 loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship. Beathard passed for 216 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the loss.[25] In the Rose Bowl against Stanford, Beathard passed for 239 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the 45–16 loss.[26]

2016 season

In his final season with the Hawkeyes, Beathard helped lead the team to a 8–4 record in the regular season.[27] The team qualified for the Outback Bowl against Florida. The Gators won by a score of 30–3 in Beathard's final collegiate game.[28] Overall, in the 2016 season, Beathard had 1,929 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.[29]

Statistics

[30]

NCAA collegiate career statistics
Iowa Hawkeyes
Season Games Games
started		 Record Passing Rushing
CompAttYardsPct.TDIntQB ratingAttYardsAvgTD
2013 500-092717933.31286.413493.82
2014 811-0529264556.552129.0281565.60
2015 141412-22233622,80961.6175139.51002372.46
2016 13138-51703011,92956.51710122.383-14-0.22
NCAA career totals 402821-74477595,50758.94019129.82244291.910

Professional career

Beathard received an invitation to play in the 2017 Senior Bowl.[31] He met with representatives from the Chicago Bears during the week of the Senior Bowl, but failed to stand out after a week of practices. On January 28, 2017, Beathard played for the North team, and was limited to two passes for 4 passing yards and a 12-yard rush as the North lost 15-16 to the South.[32] He attended the NFL combine and performed the vertical jump, broad jump, and positional drills. Due to a hamstring injury, he opted to skip the 40-yard dash, short shuttle, and three-cone drill.[33] On March 27, 2017, Beathard participated at Iowa's pro day along with Desmond King, Jaleel Johnson, George Kittle, Riley McCarron, LeShun Daniels Jr., Cole Croston, Faith Ekakitie, Anthony Gair, Jake Duzey, and Ron Coluzzi. He performed the short shuttle, three-cone drill, vertical jump, broad jump, and passing drills for the team representatives and scouts who attended from all 32 NFL teams.[34] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Beathard was projected to be a sixth or seventh round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts.

Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert jump Broad Wonderlic
6 ft 2 in
(1.88 m)		 219 lb
(99 kg)		 30 5⁄8 in
(0.78 m)		 9 3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.86 s 6.95 s 34 1⁄2 in
(0.88 m)		 9 ft 4 in
(2.84 m)		 26[35]
All values from NFL Combine/Iowa's Pro Day[36]

The San Francisco 49ers selected Beathard in the third round (104th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.[37]

2017 season: Rookie year

On June 12, 2017, Beathard signed his rookie contract, a four-year, $3.52 million with a signing bonus of $706,288.[38][39] He competed with Matt Barkley and Nick Mullens throughout training camp for the job as the backup quarterback. Head coach Kyle Shanahan named him the backup to Brian Hoyer to begin the regular season.[40]

On October 15, 2017, Beathard made his professional regular season debut against the Washington Redskins, replacing Hoyer in the second quarter. He played for the remainder of the game. In the fourth quarter, he threw his first NFL touchdown, a 45-yard pass to wide receiver Aldrick Robinson. He completed 19 of 36 passes for 245 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception as the 49ers lost by a score of 24-26.[41] After the game, Beathard was named the 49ers starter.[42] In Week 7, in a 40–10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Beathard was 22-of-38 for 235 yards. In addition, he had 5 carries for 30 yards and his first career rushing touchdown.[43] The 49ers won their first game of the 2017 season in Week 10 over the New York Giants. In the 31-21 victory, Beathard completed 19 of 25 passes for 288 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. One of the touchdowns was for the longest play of his career, an 83-yard pass to wide receiver Marquise Goodwin. Additionally, he scored his third rushing touchdown.[44]

During the 49ers' Week 11 matchup at home to the Seattle Seahawks on November 25, Beathard suffered a leg and hip injury in the 4th quarter and was replaced by recent trade acquisition Jimmy Garoppolo with 1:07 remaining. Although he avoided any serious injury, this would be Beathard's final appearance for the 49ers in the 2017 season as Garoppolo was promoted to the team's starting quarterback a few days later.[45] He finished the season completing 123-of-224 passes (54.9%) for 1,430 yards, four touchdowns, and six interceptions - in addition to 136 rushing yards on 26 attempts for three touchdowns.[46] Several members of the 49ers have publicly complimented the attitude and toughness of Beathard during the season, as he was sacked 19 times in his 7 appearances.

2018 season

In 2018, the plan was for Beathard to be the backup to Garoppolo.[47] However, Garoppolo tore his ACL late in the fourth quarter of the 49ers' 38-27 Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, making Beathard the starter for the rest of the season.[48] On September 30, 2018, in a 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Beathard connected with fellow Hawkeye alum tight-end George Kittle, for an 82-yard touchdown pass.[49] He passed for 298 yards two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the loss.[50]

NFL statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGamesPassingRushingFumbles
GPGSCmpAttPctYdsAvgTDIntRateAttYdsAvgTDFumLost
2017SF 7512322454.91,4306.44669.2261365.2332
2018SF 32579162.66477.14480.29262.9132
Career10718031557.12,0776.681072.4261365.2464

Personal life

Beathard is the son of country music songwriter Casey Beathard, the brother of country music singer Tucker Beathard, and the grandson of former NFL executive Bobby Beathard, who is a Pro Football Hall of Famer.[51]

References

  1. ↑ "Commencement Program, December 2016". University of Iowa. 2016. p. 30.
  2. ↑ Emmert, Mark. "How C.J. Beathard went from BGA backup to NFL prospect". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  3. ↑ Morehouse, Marc. "Tennessee QB dumps Ole' Miss for the Hawkeyes". The Gazette. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  4. ↑ "Western Michigan at Iowa Box Score, September 21, 2013". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  5. ↑ "Iowa at Purdue Box Score, November 9, 2013". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  6. ↑ "Iowa at Nebraska Box Score, November 29, 2013". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  7. ↑ "Outback Bowl - Iowa vs Louisiana State Box Score, January 1, 2014". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  8. ↑ "C.J. Beathard 2013 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  9. 1 2 "Iowa vs. Pittsburgh final score: 3 things we learned from the Hawkeyes' 24-20 comeback win". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  10. ↑ "Iowa State vs. Iowa - Box Score - September 13, 2014 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  11. ↑ "2014 Iowa State Cyclones Football Schedule | ISU". www.fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  12. ↑ "Iowa vs. Purdue - Box Score - September 27, 2014 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  13. 1 2 "2014 Iowa Hawkeyes Football Schedule". www.fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  14. ↑ "Fire Kirk Ferentz Petition | FireKirk.com". www.firekirk.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Barta: Salary not a factor when evaluating Ferentz". Hawk Central. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  16. ↑ "Northwestern at Iowa Box Score, November 1, 2014". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  17. ↑ "Iowa at Minnesota Box Score, November 8, 2014". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  18. ↑ "Iowa's C.J. Beathard faces tough decision after Vols". Hawk Central. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  19. ↑ "Harty: Wrong to label Casey Beathard as a meddling father | AllHawkeyes.com". AllHawkeyes.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  20. ↑ "TaxSlayer Bowl - Iowa vs Tennessee Box Score, January 2, 2015". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  21. ↑ "Iowa names QB Beathard as starter, replacing Rudock". College Football. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  22. ↑ Chengelis, Angelique. "QB Jake Rudock transferring to Michigan". Detroit News. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  23. ↑ "C. J. Beathard". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  24. ↑ "2015 All-Big Ten Offensive Team & individual award winners". ESPN.com. December 2015.
  25. ↑ "Michigan State vs Iowa Box Score, December 5, 2015". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  26. ↑ "Rose Bowl - Stanford vs Iowa Box Score, January 1, 2016". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  27. ↑ "2016 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  28. ↑ "Outback Bowl - Florida vs Iowa Box Score, January 2, 2017". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  29. ↑ "C.J. Beathard 2016 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  30. ↑ "C.J. Beathard". www.sports-reference.com. USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  31. ↑ "CJ Beathard Senior-Bowl invitation". landof10.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  32. ↑ "ESPN.com: College football stats: 2017 Senior Bowl". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  33. ↑ Jason Wolf (March 3, 2017). "C.J. Beathard: 'I'm the best QB in this draft'". Tennessean.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Iowa Pro-Day Results 1". Iowa.rivals.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  35. ↑ McGinn, Bob (April 22, 2017). "Ranking the NFL draft prospects: Quarterbacks". PackersNews.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  36. ↑ "NFL Draft Profile: C.J. Bethard". NFL.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  37. ↑ Orr, Conor. "Niners add Iowa QB C.J. Beathard at No. 104 pick". NFL.com. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  38. ↑ Leistikow, Chad. "C.J. Beathard signs four-year deal with 49ers". DesMoinesRegister.com. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  39. ↑ "Spotrac.com: C.J. Beathard". spotrac.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Ourlads.com: San Francisco 49ers' depth chart: 07/01/2017". Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  41. ↑ "San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins - October 15th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  42. ↑ Wilson, Ryan (October 15, 2017). "49ers bench Brian Hoyer mid-game, name rookie C.J. Beathard starter going forward". cbssports.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  43. ↑ "Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers - October 22nd, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  44. ↑ "New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers - November 12th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  45. ↑ "Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers - November 26th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  46. ↑ "C.J. Beathard 2017 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  47. ↑ "As 49ers' backup QB, C.J. Beathard relates to Jimmy Garoppolo's confidence". NBCS Bay Area. 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2018-10-10.
  48. ↑ Breech, John (24 September 2018). "Jimmy Garoppolo injury update: 49ers QB out for the season after MRI shows torn ACL". CBS Sports. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  49. ↑ Kurtenbach, Dieter (1 October 2018). "Kurtenbach: C.J. Beathard deserves better, but these 49ers look like they're back at square one". The Mercury News. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  50. ↑ "Chargers 29, 49ers 27: Comeback falls short with Beathard in place of Garoppolo". The Mercury News. 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2018-10-10.
  51. ↑ "Iowa's C.J. Beathard has family name at the center of the football world once again". The Washington Post. December 3, 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.