C. J. Beathard

Casey J. Beathard (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.

College career

2014 season

Beathard entered the public eye in the Iowa football community in the 2014 season when he was the backup to then-2-year starter Jake Rudock. In the first half against Pitt, Rudock suffered a minor injury and C.J. Beathard took the field to begin the second half, with the Hawkeyes trailing 17-7.^[1] 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.^[1]

After a last-minute loss to non-conference in-state rival Iowa State,^[2] who would eventually go 2-10 (winless in conference play),^[3] 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.^[4] Following their bye week, Rudock was declared healthy by Ferentz, and returned as a starter against Indiana, where they won 45-29.^[5] Fan criticism of the program continued throughout the season, as the team continued to lose against the better part of their schedule.^[5]

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.^[6] 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^[7] 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. Wisconsin and Nebraska, conference rivals and two of the most storied programs on Iowa's 2014 schedule, came to Kinnick Stadium in the final 2 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 as Tommy Armstrong threw to a wide-open receiver in blown Iowa coverage. After the game, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini resigned as head coach, under pressure from the athletic staff and acknowledging that Iowa is a team that Nebraska should not be losing to.

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".^[8] Though taken out of context by media, Casey Beathard ^[9] 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.

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.^[10] 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.

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 during the season.^[11] He was selected by both the coaches and media as a second-team player on the 2015 All-Big Ten Conference football team.^[12]

Statistics

^[13]

Professional career

Beathard was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round, 104th overall, in the 2017 NFL Draft.^[14] On June 12, 2017, Beathard signed his rookie contract, a four-year deal worth $3.1 million.^[15]

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 National Football League executive Bobby Beathard.^[16]

References