National Football League executive and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Beathard has died at the age of 86 following a lengthy illness, the Hall and two teams announced on Wednesday.
Beathard passed away at his home in Franklin, Tennessee, on Monday, according to the Washington Commanders. His son Casey told the Washington Post that the cause of death was Alzheimer’s disease.
Beathard, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018, spent 35 years working in the NFL with Washington, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, the then-San Diego Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs.
“Bobby not only built winning teams throughout his career, but he also built winning cultures that lasted beyond his years with an organization,” Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement. “He combined an eye for talent with a special gift for working with other people. The results speak for themselves.”
Legendary in the league for his work, Beathard helped to build teams that won four Super Bowls with Washington and Miami including the 1972 Dolphins team that finished undefeated.
Beathard retired from football in 2000. He was later inducted into Washington’s Ring of Fame in 2016 and the Chargers Hall of Fame in 2018.
“Bobby was a man of extraordinary class and integrity and was the architect behind the greatest teams in this organization’s history,” the Commanders said in a statement. “He cared deeply about everyone he worked with and always put the team first. Bobby is rightfully enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Washington Ring of Fame and will go down as one of the greatest executives in NFL history.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife Christine, children Kurt, Casey, Jeff and Jaime along with the entire Beathard family. Bobby’s impact on our franchise and community will never be forgotten.”
Dean Spanos, Los Angeles Chargers owner/board chairman, called Beathard “one of the best judges of football talent in NFL history,” in a statement Wednesday.
Beathard’s grandson, CJ Beathard, is a quarterback who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars this past season.
